Diamond exports top 20,000 metric carats; sand extraction nearly doubles

From January to September of this year, Guyana exported some 20,000 metric carats of diamond, and a further 7,500 metric carats are expected to be exported by the end of the year.

This is according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who addressed a Harvard Business School virtual workshop on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Finance’s mid-year report, diamond declarations had grown by some 166.3 per cent to 18, 432 metric carats.

Looking ahead, the report said that other mining industries are projected to grow by a “very strong” 74.5 per cent in 2021.

Meanwhile, on Monday morning, the President also highlighted that there has been a massive increase in the extraction of sand and quarrying activities.

The extraction of sand increased by some 96.8 per cent; some 3.5 million metric tonnes of stone have been produced from January to September. These resources have been exploited in the subsequent months.

“This is to demonstrate what is taking place in the local construction section,” Dr. Ali stated.

Currently, there are several major infrastructure projects ongoing across Guyana. These include the development of new housing schemes, roads and bridges.

Importantly, too, there are significant developments occurring in the private sector, as noted by the mid-year report.