the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission

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Two significant agencies affiliated with the mining sector are scheduled to take up residence at the growing and popular mining community of Port Kaituma in the North West District.The under construction multi-complex at Deon Stoll Main Road Port Kaituma.Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Robert Persaud told a gathering in the Region One community earlier this week, that in an earnest effort to improve and better monitor mining in the area, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Gold Board are expected to share housing at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Port Kaituma branch.The announcement came during an in-depth presentation on the challenges faced by the agencies tasked with ensuring the “organization and legal” growth of the very important sector. Persaud reiterated that gold mining plays a significant role in the country’s development, but charged that there are many challenges posed by indisciplined persons who refuse to follow the rules of the system.“We need to ensure that mining is done in an environmentally clean and responsible way, but also, in a socially positive way for the benefit of communities.” He continued that, “we are coming to Port Kaituma with a long term and fixed presence. We were able to work with GBTI in getting them to construct a facility which the GGMC and the Guyana Gold Board could share and therefore have a permanent office in Port Kaituma.”He told the residents that having the bank in Port Kaituma would be good for them since it means that the agency would also be providing support in financing mining activities. The Minister said, “We are coming here because we care. We are coming here because we want the mining sector to grow and we want it to grow in an organized way.” “We don’t want people looking around for staff or if they have gold to sell, they have to be, as it were, encouraged to sell it other than the legal way. We are providing all the necessary facilities to make what we are preaching possible.”The construction site is said to be the home of a soon to come multi-complex facility that will house the bank and the mining agencies. It was noted that the initiative is a joint venture of the government and GBTI to support the transformation of Region One through increased economic activities.