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12NEWS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM Micobie facing degradation from illegal mining – APA

Evidence of the illegal mining at Micobie which has resulted in an intervention (APA photo)

The Amerindian issued a removal order to fice, what we found is that Peoples Association the owner of the illegal there have been a lot of il(APA) has raised se- dredge. legal mining and logging rious concerns over the act While illegal min- as well. We’ve been clampof illegal mining on lands ing and logging have ing down on illegal logat Micobie village, Region long been problems for ging as well. We’ve seized a Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), the Government and the number of logs in the past resulting in environmental source of revenue leakag- month. Mining is the same degradation. es, the new Administration issue. A lot of illegal min-

The situation was ob- is clamping down on the ing,” Minister Bharrat exserved by its Geographic scourge, conducting opera- plained. Information Systems (GIS) tions over the past month Apart from communities Specialist and Forest that resulted in illegal logs in the interior, even the Policy Officer during a vis- being seized and the de- Iwokrama International it to the community earlier struction of illegal mines. Centre discovered more this month. Last month, Natural evidence of illegal activi-

Land degradation is Resources Minister ties within the reservation described as a process in Vickram Bharrat during and reminded of the penwhich the value of the bio- an interview with the me- alties as outlined in the physical environment is af- dia said that when the Iwokrama Act. fected by a combination of PPP Government took of- Three weeks ago, the human-induced processes fice, illegal mining and log- Centre said during planned acting upon the land. This ging were very prevalent. monitoring and enforcedisturbance to the land is Bharrat noted that one way ment exercises in the week most often undesirable. they have been addressing of October 16, Iwokrama At the Micobie area un- the problem is by inter- staffers along with Natural der question, a large por- agency collaboration, be- Resources Ministry Corp of tion of the land has already tween the Guyana Defence Wardens and the Guyana been washed away and is Force (GDF); Prime Police Force witnessed moving closer to the forest Minister, Retired Brigadier more intrusions of illegal resources. Mark Phillips, who once mining operations, not only

Guyana Times under- headed the GDF; the in the Iwokrama protectstands that the Guyana Guyana Geology and Mines ed forest, but also in the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and one-kilometre buffer zone Commission (GGMC) is other agencies. on the other side of the aware of the issue and has “Upon assuming of- Siparuni River.a

GCCI condemns violence meted out against women

Following the recent spike in the number of domestic violence cases against women, the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has publicly condemned such actions perpetrated against the female populace.

GCCI said It is with much disdain and pain that there have been increasing reports in the media of such incidents which leave much to be desired.

“Domestic violence culminating in fatality is even more sad as oftentimes children are left motherless and relatives are left to grieve. It is common knowledge that women are the backbone of our families and communities as they play an integral role in the moulding of our future generations. Concurrent with domestic violence is the psychological damage and physical harm that is attendant to the victim, and children and persons who may have witnessed same” the GCCI stated in a release to the media.

Further, the organisation stated that Guyana’s law on domestic violence is very clear as it strictly prohibits same and allows victims recourse to the Magistrate’s Courts to seek redress in the form of protection and other orders.

“A comprehensive national survey, the first of its kind conducted by the Guyana Bureau of Statistics with support from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), UN Women, UNDP, USAID, the Global Women’s Institute of George Washington University and the University of Guyana and released in the last quarter of 2019 revealed startling data that more than half (55%) of all women in Guyana between the ages of 15-64 experienced at least one form of violence at the hands of their partner”, the statement read.

GCCI posited that the report titled “Guyana Women’s Health and Life Experiences Survey (WHLES)” indicated that in Guyana, 38 per cent of women [surveyed] have experienced physical and/or sexual violence, above the global average.

“It unveiled that while the global estimates show that 1 in 3 women worldwide experiences either physical and/or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner at some point in their lives, that in Guyana, this was 1 in every 2 women”, they said.

For a population of our size, the chamber said these statistics reflect dismally on the Guyanese society and are totally unacceptable. They added that it is also suggestive of a tolerance level which we need to dispel.

“Collectively, as stakeholders, be it Government agencies, education and enforcement arms, Private Sector, religious organisations and non-governmental organisations; we have to urgently work together to wipe out the scourge of this disease coined domestic violence that is plaguing us and impacting on our country’s socioeconomic strata. Our womenfolk must feel and be protected”, they alluded.