Gov’t to ink MoU with NTC to address Indigenous people’s issues

The National Toshaos Council (NTC) and the Ministry of Natural Resources will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) before the end of the year, to cooperate in areas of communication and information sharing, granting of forest concessions, mining in indigenous communities and offering monetary resources to the NTC.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the MoU was proposed by the NTC after identifying a number of areas for which it needs the support of the Natural Resources Ministry. The proposal was made during a meeting hosted on December 8, 2017, in the boardroom of the ministry on Upper Brickdam.

The Ministry said the suggested areas to be included are: communication, training and capacity building, meetings, environmental matters, enforcement of the laws among others.

Subject Minister, Raphael Trotman gave a commitment that the Commissioners of the Guyana Geology (GGMC) and Mines Commission and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) will use verification approaches that would include villages.

The Ministry of Natural Resources said it is not unaware of the negative impact forestry and mining can have on some indigenous communities and it is for this reason that we endeavour to find solutions that benefit not only the extractive sectors but also the lives of our indigenous brothers and sisters.