The government decisively suspended the permit for the controversial mining project in Aranaputa, Region Nine, prioritising environmental protection and citizen well-being.
During a recent statement, Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat clarified that the permit was initially granted to the Aranaputa Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), not a Brazilian company.
The NDC partnered with Brazilian investors, a practice permitted under Guyana’s Mining Act.
The minister said, “I want to state clearly that our mining act states that medium and small-scale mining cannot be done by non-nationals. I just want to make that very clear because there may be a misconception that this permit was given to a Brazilian investor. Rather the permit, the special mining permit was given to the Arunpunta neighbourhood democratic council.”