Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat says Government’s intensified crackdown on illegal mining is contributing to improved gold declarations, with Guyana reaching its half-year gold declaration target for the first time in about nine years.
Bharrat made the disclosure during an appearance on the Starting Point Podcast, where he said the mining sector remains a critical part of Guyana’s economy, even as oil and gas continues to dominate national attention.
According to the Minister, mining remains the second highest contributor to Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product after oil and gas, while supporting approximately 30,000 jobs directly and indirectly.
“It is still the second highest contributor to our GDP after oil and gas. And it creates, I would say safely, about 30,000 employment, whether directly or indirectly,” Bharrat said.
He noted that Guyana recorded its highest gold production declarations around 2016, driven mainly by production from Guyana Goldfields and Troy Resources. However, declarations declined in the years that followed, before showing signs of recovery in 2024 and then a stronger improvement in 2025.
The Minister said 2025 saw an increase of about 52,000 ounces when compared to 2024.
“And I’m happy to say that in 2026, we have reached our budgeted target of gold declaration for the half year period,” Bharrat stated.
He said the half-year target was approximately 233,000 ounces, but declarations are now close to 240,000 ounces.
“So last year, ending in June, we were 25,000 below what we have now. Right now, we’re close to 240,000 ounces that has been declared over this period of time,” he said.
Bharrat said the improved performance came despite unfavourable weather conditions affecting miners.
He credited part of the increase to a stricter enforcement approach taken by the Government during the first quarter of the year against miners and companies that either failed to declare gold or made very limited declarations in 2025.
“During the first three months of the year, we had a serious crackdown on the companies and miners that did either none or limited declaration in 2025,” the Minister said.
He added that some licences and permits were not renewed, while some non-nationals with very low or non-existent declarations were blacklisted from returning to Guyana’s mining sector.
“We had to blacklist some of the non-nationals who their declaration was very low or non-existent. They’ve been blacklisted. They cannot come back in the country and engage in the mining sector,” Bharrat disclosed.
The Minister said the administration has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to illegal activities in the mining industry.
“We have been on a serious campaign since then on a zero tolerance, a zero tolerance approach to illegal activities in the mining sector,” he said.
He pointed to a recent enforcement operation in Region One, where several excavators were seized.
“Only recently, there was an operation in Region 1 where we seized, I think, about 10 or 12 excavators,” Bharrat said.
He warned that miners found operating illegally will face heavy penalties, including seizure of equipment, fines based on the estimated quantity of gold produced, and possible prosecution if the gold was not sold to a legal buyer.
“If we find you mining illegally, we will seize your equipment, because you’re engaging in illegal activities. You want it back, you will pay a fine,” the Minister said.
Bharrat said authorities will also quantify the amount of gold produced during illegal operations and use that figure to determine penalties.
“We will quantify the amount of gold that you produce. And based on that, you will be fined. And worse yet, if you have not been selling the gold to a legal buyer, you may face even further prosecution,” he added.
The Minister said the results of the enforcement campaign are now being reflected in improved gold declaration figures.
“So we have been on this serious campaign. And I think because of this, we are seeing the results now,” Bharrat said.
He added that bauxite, quarry materials and manganese have also been performing well, while diamond declarations remain weaker due to global competition from lab-grown diamonds and miners shifting toward gold because of high prices.
