To Employ Hundreds of Local Workers
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Chinese owned Guyana Manganese Incorporated (GMI) says it will employ more than 500 local workers as it prepares to begin construction in Matthews Ridge in July.
GMI, a Bosai Mineral Group company, says it is on track to develop the mines, plant and factories to begin extracting the mineral by early 2019 since acquiring the area from Reunion Manganese Inc (RMI) of Canada.
GMI is investing US$100M in the first phase development and the assistant general manager of Bosai’s Overseas Department, Steven Ma, said that construction is set to begin in July and an estimated 550 locals from the region and across Guyana will be employed during this and the production phases.
Ma, who briefed Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, and Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Cui Jianchun, on a visit to the Matthew’s Ridge, Region One mine site , said that during the construction phase, the mine ore processing plant, washing plant, warehouses and factory will be established.
He said the company is currently procuring equipment and that it is also facing logistic challenges in terms of moving the ore from the plant to sale.
Trotman said that the government is committed to doing work on the road but will do so in collaboration with the company, particularly as it relates to maintenance. He also committed to discussing the sharing of facilities with bauxite company Rusal, as GMI resolves the logistics challenge.
“We’d like to see a resurgence in this region and so government is very keen on getting it started,” Trotman said as he stressed the importance of mining in Region One.
Ambassador Jianchun said he is proud of the example Bosai has set in Linden and urged GMI to have a similar integrated approach in Region One.
“Through this project try to push more to let the people benefit. I am concerned that we can create more jobs for the local community,” Ambassador Jianchun said, also urging the company to be good corporate citizens.
GMI purchased four prospecting licences that covers an area of 45,729 acres, exploration results, mineral agreement, certain properties and infrastructure from RMI of Canada in November 2016.
The total manganese resource in Matthew’s Ridge is estimated at 26 million tonnes and Ma said to produce the manganese concentrate, the company will have to mine an estimated two million tonnes per year which will see the life of the operation lasting some 12-13 years. – CMC
