the official disclosed.Government has projected just over 300

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Miners have expressed worry over the state of the industry as declaration to the Guyana Gold Board plunged by 40 per cent for January alone and a loss of confidence among miners is being blamed.According to the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA), while it does not have the projections for February, indications are that it is just over 15,000 ounces, still way short of the expected target.According to Executive Director of the GGDMA, Edward Shields, the declaration is a clear indication of miners not being confident.In January, 13,762 ounces of gold was declared. This translated to about 62 per cent of what was budgeted for, the official disclosed.Government has projected just over 300,000 ounces for this year although the GGDMA is calling on miners to reach 500,000 ounces. Commenting on the figures, Shields yesterday said that it is clear that there is fear among the miners about the uncertainty. The industry will not resume normally until Government officially publish a notice of the new mining measures.Issues of what happens to operators who are mining for claim holders (landlordism), how much of a say, if any, the forestry sector has in new mining measures, no stoppage to mining, will all have to be published urgently as stakeholders are cautious, Shields said yesterday.There are also indications that suppliers, confident of the high gold prices, are now beginning to show reluctance. Late last year, miners were upset after it came out that Government was considering a proposal for a six-month notice period for all miners.A Special Land Use Committee was appointed by President Bharrat Jagdeo to look in to the industry and recommend, among other things, measures to prevent forestry concession holders and miners from having disputes in overlapping forestry areas.Miners had shut down Bartica and held several meetings fearing that the six-month proposal would effectively shut them down.Miners had several meetings across the country as concerns escalated.In February, President Jagdeo, during a public meeting, assured that mining will not stop and announced that the committee, chaired by Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, would be expanded to include representatives from the various mining communities to address issues of “landlordism”, among other things.Yesterday, Shields said that the GGDMA was dumbfounded that there was a representative on this special committee from the Linden community even though that area is not a gold and diamond mining community. “It is obvious that the President is not being briefed properly,” the official said. “You might as well include people from Mocha Arcadia and Ann’s Grove.”The President, during that public meeting, had said that the life of the special committee would not have been beyond a few weeks.