Draft mining policy open for public comment

Dear Editor, As head of the mining policy drafting team under the auspices of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), I thank Kaieteur News for publishing last Sunday, a few notes from the document in its article “Draft mining policy to address critical developmental challenges”. I did not see the other newspapers picking up the DPI release on the document despite the importance of mining in the economy. As the KN article noted, the green paper is now available for comment on the MNR website (https://www.nre.gov.gy/ 2018/10/03/green-paper-national-mineralsector-policy-framework-and-actions2019-2029/).

A letter cannot hope to capture the complexity of the draft mining policy. I wish to, however, highlight a few things. Reviewers should perhaps start with the description of the three overarching themes in Part III of the document. The first theme calls for optimising the governance of the industry by government agencies such as the MNR and the GGMC. The second focuses on optimising compliance by all categories of miners with laws, regulations, and other requirements. The third theme speaks to optimising the performance of the industry mainly in terms of its contribution to our national and local economies. Under each of these three unifying themes, the green paper recommends principles, policies, strategic goals, and a host of actions.

On optimising governance, the draft identifies ten principles dealing with such necessities as transparency and fairness in ministry/GGMC decision-making, and the ease with which the mining public can do business at these, and other government agencies. Concrete mechanisms here include, among others, the continued implementation of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI), and the