President Ali orders immediate deregistration, prosecution of non-compliant miners
Gold miners who fail to declare their production will face immediate consequences, including deregistration, prosecution, and possible expulsion as the government intensifies its crackdown on illegal and non-compliant mining operations.
On Tuesday, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali ordered immediate action against miners who do not declare the gold they produced in 2025.
The head of state announced that all registered dredges without declarations will be deregistered immediately, ending their permit to mine with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
Additionally, President Ali ordered that foreign miners operating illegally in Guyana be identified, prosecuted, and expelled.
Special attention is focused on some Brazilian miners whose declarations are very low or absent. They have 24 hours to fully comply with Guyana’s mining laws and declare their gold to the Guyana Gold Board, as stated on the president’s official social media.
The directives were issued during a meeting at State House on Friday, with senior officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the GGMC.
Importantly, the natural resources ministry and the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) will work together to ensure all miners across every category (small, medium and large) are properly registered and have a local bank account.
GGDMA’s President, Ronaldo Alphonso, has called on miners to follow the law and sell gold through approved channels.
“It is our responsibility as miners to ensure the sustainability of the industry. We need to make it compliant, and we need to declare gold. Make 2026 the year of compliance and declaration,” Alphonso said.
To strengthen the gold exportation system, the government established a task force to identify loopholes.
The task force comprises the attorney-general, the finance minister, the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the governor of the Central Bank and representatives of the Guyana Gold Board.