| – amid calls to ensure communities benefit A review of the bauxite sector, to chart the course for continuous expansion saw the two bauxite companies, Bosai and Rusal outlining their projections for 2013.The programme was hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources at the Watooka complex in Linden on Saturday.The audience of major stakeholders from across Region 10, including Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon and Interim Management Committee Chairman Orrin Gordon, were treated to presentations of mining activities conducted by the two companies, over the past year.Gordon, while applauding the companies’ commitment towards expansion, was most vocal about the issue of a farmer at Linden who has occupied the land he is farming on for over 32 years, but still has no lease for the land. The land that Baljit was given surface rights to farm is controlled by RUSAL.Gordon said that he has a problem if the benefits that would accrue to the community from expansion of the bauxite sector, would only be additional jobs.He pointed to the huge craters that are left after mining and said that they need to be filled.Bauxite sector executives and major stakeholders at the Watooka ClubAccording to Gordon, bauxite is a non-renewable resource, and as such steps have to be taken to benefit the community.Those sentiments were echoed by a resident of Coomacka, a community which sits on the periphery of Bosai’s mining operations. The woman said that mining pits left by the company collect water,Jerseys NFL China, which over time accumulates and flows over into the nearby Demerara River. This contaminates the water which has to serve the community’s domestic needs, she noted.Member of the Board of Directors of the Geology and Mines Commission,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, and head of the Bauxite Development Unit, Dunstan Barrow, said that the projected targets by Bosai for 2012 were ‘ambitious’ especially as it relates to stripping.He said that if there is the availability of the requisite equipment, and efficiency is maximized, the company could very well reach its target.Both Rusal and Bosai meanwhile refrained from answering questions by Barrow about the expected financial returns from the projected targets for 2013 by their respective companies.Bosai said it intends to increase production by 35 percent,Wholesale NBA Jerseys China, which will see the company producing 892,944 metric tonnes of bauxite.RUSAL meanwhile projects a 19 percent increase in their production levels, and hopes to commence mining at Kurubuka in 2014, which is expected to increase the workforce by 10 percent. It anticipates producing 1.8 million tonnes of bauxite overall.While RUSAL blamed the global financial crisis, and high production costs for much of the difficulties the company experienced over the last year, Bosai on the other hand highlighted a multiplicity of challenges.Some of those, the company said, were attributable to poor stripping lead, unavailability of exposed ore, a backhoe which was out of service for five months, prolonged period of rainfall and the protest action in Linden between July and August.Nonetheless, both companies were optimistic of reaching their projected targets for 2013.After the presentations by the two companies, there was an interactive session where stakeholders were provided the opportunity to voice concerns etc.Topping the list of concerns were the environmental aspect as it relates to the backfilling of mined out areas,China Jerseys Cheap, and the dismissal of 57 workers from Rusal in 2009, and which has not yet seen a resolution.Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon said he was committed to seeing the impasse resolved between RUSAL and the Guyana bauxite and general workers union over the dismissed workers.The latter was of paramount importance,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, according to Solomon. He also pointed out that the companies need to involve stakeholders more and keep them informed on key issues.Meanwhile IMC chairman Orrin Gordon, reiterated what Solomon said about the dismissed workers issue, and chided Rusal about the possible implications, if the matter is not resolved.According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, in 2012, bauxite production improved significantly, from 1,827,555 metric tonnes in 2011 to 2,034,811 metric tonnes at the end of November. That was an overall improvement of 25.7 percent relative to the 1,618,483 produced in the period January to November 2011.The Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. produced 1,416, 287 metric tonnes of bauxite, in the period January to November 2012, 5.9 percent more than that which was produced for the whole of 2011 (1,337,057 metric tonnes).Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc. (BMGGI) produced 618,524 metric tonnes between January to November 2012, 26 percent more than for the whole of 2011 (490,jerseys nfl wholesale,498 metric tonnes). Bosai also announced that it will invest close to US$100M to expand its operations in 2013.Minister of Natural resources, Robert Persaud who addressed the forum, emphasized that companies operating in Guyana must abide by the laws of the country, while citizens ought to ensure the stability of their communities, for the success of said companies.(Enid Joaquin) |
