Georgetown, Guyana – (November 13, 2015) The Guyana Gold Board’s (GGB) Bartica office which was closed in 2014 under the former administration after allegations of gold tampering surfaced, will be re-opened later this month by Minister of Governance with responsibility for the Natural Resources and the Environment sector, Raphael Trotman.
This is even as the Government has commenced works in the Region Seven district to prepare Bartica for township status.
Head of the Guyana Gold Board, Lisaveta Ramotar explains the changes made in the office to Minister Trotman
Minister Trotman, along with Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, Presidential Advisor on the Environment, Rear Admiral Gary Best, Lawrence Mentis, Head of the Force Unit, Ministry of Public Infrastructure and several other key officials today visited Bartica to see firsthand, the work being done in the GGB office and the region in the whole, in the run up to 2016, when the community will be declared a town.
Lisaveta Ramotar, Head of the Guyana Gold Board, who met Minister Trotman at the location, related that the office will be ready for commissioning by month end, meeting the deadline which had been given by the Minister.
Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman makes a point to Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson in the presence of Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford and other officials at one of the proposed Landfill areas.
Bartica, which is considered the gateway to the interior and hub of mining activities, has been conducting significant trading in gold for years and remains one of the main sub-office for the Guyana Gold Board. Minister Trotman noted that the closure of the office was having an impact on the mining community and as such, the decision was taken to revamp and re open the office to life easier for the miners and traders in that region especially with the establishment of the community as a town.
Ramotar reported to Minister Trotman that the staff is currently undergoing training here in Georgetown while the final touches are being applied at the office. She added that all security measures have also been organised and once the office is opened, these will be implemented in full effect.
In the meantime, being a part of the Ministerial team which the President has appointed for the establishment of Bartica as a green town, the Ministers also used the opportunity to visit the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) plant which has been a sore point for residents for a number of years as well as the location for a proposed dumpsite in the region.
Minister Trotman (second right) and Minister David Patterson (extreme left) with the newly sworn in Interim Management Committee (IMC) of Region Seven, Cuyuni Mazaruni.
“We wanted to see that was happening and how things were progressing. We are here to examine the works on the roads and more particularly the situation with GPL and the generators because residents have been crying out about the service so I wanted to assess for myself what was happening,” Minister Patterson said.
He told residents that the Government has awarded a contract to repair the Bartica Stelling while works will be done on the One to Five Mile roads. Minister Patterson further added that next year, the Bartica-Potaro road to Mahdia will be done to bring relief to miners and traders.
The airstrip in the region will also be upgraded to accommodate the status of township for the community of Bartica.
After touring the GGB’s Office, Minister Trotman on behalf of the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, swore in the Commissioners of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) which will oversee the work being done for the community’s township status.
