After 54 years Guyana to resume manganese exportation

The exportation of manganese as government seeks to further diversify the economy is set to resume by Guyana. It was noted that since taking office, government has made it clear that it will not depend solely on the booming oil and gas sector to develop the economy and its people.

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh made the disclosure as he addressed the Private Sector Commission’s 30^th Annual General Meeting on Thursday.nDr. Singh gave the assurance to the PSC during his address, that government will work to ensure the country’s non-oil economy is strengthened. He pointed out that vessels in the North-West district are currently being laden with manganese for export.

“Right now, as we speak, vessels are being loaded in the North West of Guyana with Guyana’s first shipment of manganese in 54 years,” Dr. Singh said. The minister disclosed that research shows that manganese is used to produce a variety of important alloys and to deoxidise steel and desulfurise. He noted that manganese is also used in dry cell batteries and as a black-brown pigment in paint.

The finance minister noted that as government seeks to develop a resilient non-oil economy, he revealed that three major large-scale gold mining operations are being established in Guyana. He said that the operations will be much larger than one of Guyana’s largest gold operations, Omai Gold Mines. “You know how significant Omai was. Contemplate for a moment three large scale operations, each of which is larger than Omai. Consider for a moment that each one of these will be employing more than 100 Guyanese. Consider the food and other supplies, transport services, construction, equipment supply and maintenance services, and all the multiplier benefits these operations will generate,” Dr. Sing stressed.

Minister Singh revealed that the PSC was also assured that government will continue to place emphasis on areas such as agriculture, tourism, telecommunications and renewable energy to develop its non-oil economy.