Guyana blacklists more than 100 non-nationals amid illegal mining crackdown
Key Points(5)
- More than 100 non-nationals have been blacklisted in Guyana as authorities intensify enforcement against illegal mining and efforts to ensure gold production is properly declared and sold through legitimate channels.
- Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat said Wednesday that the action was taken over concerns about mining activities, including illegal operations and cases in which gold production was either underreported or not declared.
- The increased enforcement has coincided with a significant rise in gold declarations in 2026, according to Bharrat.
- “We have seen a significant increase in gold declarations in 2026,” he told the Department of Public Information.
- The government has also expanded the network of authorized gold purchasing points as part of efforts to make legal sales more accessible to miners and strengthen oversight of the industry.
More than 100 non-nationals have been blacklisted in Guyana as authorities intensify enforcement against illegal mining and efforts to ensure gold production is properly declared and sold through legitimate channels.
Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat said Wednesday that the action was taken over concerns about mining activities, including illegal operations and cases in which gold production was either underreported or not declared.
The increased enforcement has coincided with a significant rise in gold declarations in 2026, according to Bharrat.
“We have seen a significant increase in gold declarations in 2026,” he told the Department of Public Information.
The government has also expanded the network of authorized gold purchasing points as part of efforts to make legal sales more accessible to miners and strengthen oversight of the industry.
Guyana now has six Guyana Gold Board offices, up from three previously, along with four licensed gold exporters and between 60 and 70 licensed gold traders.
Bharrat said transactions involving the Gold Board and licensed dealers are recorded, while licensed traders are required to use official receipt books. The system allows authorities to trace gold from miners through the authorized purchasing and export chain.
“There is a good traceability system in place. However, you still have instances of people trying to break our laws,” he said.
Bharrat said enforcement is not limited to unauthorized mining but also targets the illegal sale and movement of gold and other illicit activities within mining districts.
He stressed that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission remains the sole agency responsible for regulating mining and issuing mining permits in the country.
In Amerindian titled areas, miners must first obtain a no-objection from the relevant village council before proceeding with the permitting process.
Bharrat said the government’s aim is not to restrict legitimate mining but to ensure operators obtain the necessary permits, properly register their equipment and comply with the country’s laws.
“It is about ensuring everybody is in compliance with the law,” he said.
The minister said authorities will continue working with compliant miners while maintaining enforcement against illegal mining operations and gold smuggling.
