Team Leader, Mr. Sherwood Lowe, makes a point during the inception meeting with Hon. Raphael Trotman.
University of Guyana Senior Lecturer, Mr. Sherwood Lowe, along with former Commissioners of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Mr. William Woolford and Ms. Karen Livan have been engaged by the Ministry of Natural Resources to spearhead the process of designing a Strategic Ten (10) Year Plan for the mineral sector. Mr. Sherwood Lowe has been identified as the Team Leader.
In a meeting with the consultants on Monday, May 14, 2018, Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Raphael Trotman, mandated the team to oversee and produce a National Minerals Sector Policy Framework (NMSPF) and a National Minerals Sector Action Plan. The Action Plan will identify the work activities for the implementation of the Policy Framework. Further, the Minister stressed that the work to be done has to be framed within the Green State Development Strategy.
It is envisaged that in crafting of the Policy Framework the team will meet with stakeholders in the mining industry, at all stages of the value chain, and would visit outlying areas to garner insights as to what the Guyanese people expect to see in the document. In addition, the team will be reviewing all existing documents that speak to policy issues within Guyana’s mining sector, and take as a guide, what applies internationally.
Mining is presently the country’s largest export earner and a major contributor to the GDP of the country. In addition, it creates employment for several thousands of Guyanese in various disciplines, which has created a positive spin-off effect in other sectors of the economy.
The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, established in 1979, is the regulatory body that has oversight for the mineral sector, and it is one of three (3) entities over which the Minister of Natural Resources has ministerial responsibilities.
Both the Ministry and the Commission recognize that for sustained success in the implementation of their mandates, they must craft and review policies and developmental plan as standard practices. Equally important, is the engagement of relevant stakeholders in order to promote consensus and cooperation within the sector.
The work of the team is expected to run for seven (7) months and the Ministry of Natural Resources is asking stakeholders, and the public, to facilitate the work of the team by engaging them in meaningful conversations for the betterment of the Guyana’s mining sector.
