SITUATION ANALYSIS OF THE SMALL-SCALE GOLD ... - WWF

closing the first negative cycle shown below.” It is clear from the economic analysis in
Chapter IV that these conditions apply to the SSGM sub-sector in Suriname.
Inadequate
techniques
Low recovery & Inability
productivity to invest
Poor health & safety Low income
environmental damage and savings
With regard to mining authorities, “lack of adequate operational resources prevents
officials from enforcing existing regulations. The inability to enforce existing regulations
results in illegal operations, poor environment, health, and safety standards and a loss of
fiscal revenues from this activity. The lack of funds from fiscal revenues limits the ability
of the government to perform its regulatory function and perpetuates uncontrolled
artisanal mining.” The negative circle affecting the mining authorities is shown below. As
indicated in Chapter V, we have added the low priority assigned to the sub-sector by the
government.
Environmental damage;
Poor health & safety;
Illegal operations
Inadequate
operational resources
Low
administration
priority
Unable to control Insufficient
sub-sector government income
Unable to collect
taxes/royalties
Having outlined the challenges facing the main actors – the mining authorities and the
miners, Noetstaller goes on to argue that “a policy designed to promote SSM in
developing countries essentially has to combine two elements: intervention and
assistance. Intervention and control is required to in order to eliminate unacceptable
work practices typical for informal SSM activities; assistance is a prerequisite for the
removal of operational constraints limiting productivity and competitiveness.” Noetstaller
also points out that “an indispensable initial step in replacing informal wildcat mining is
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