The Gold Marketing Chain in Suriname - WWF, Abu Dhabi unveil ...

Gold transport from Guyana to Suriname
The Guyanese law prohibits the exportation of raw gold without the appropriate license 66 . Yet
according to different sources, Guyanese gold frequently finds its way to Suriname. There are
three main reasons for miners in Guyana to sell their gold in Suriname:
1. Better price. In Guayana, gold miners and other workers in the mining areas pay a
royalty of 5% of the value of the gold (after assay) plus a 2% compulsory tax. These fees
(5% and 2%) are paid when the miner sells his gold to the licensed buyer in Guyana. By
comparison, Suriname royalties are only 1 percent and hence the price fetched for gold
in Suriname is higher.
2. No gold tracing or other bureaucratic demands. In Guyana, the seller of gold is obliged
to state where the gold comes from and has to comply with several other legal
requirements. As Vieira, WWF‐Guianas officer in Guyana put it: “One cannot walk off
the road and sell gold to the any dealer. There must be a clear trail with registered
equipment, legal concessions and registered miners etc.” 67
3. Need for dollar or other foreign exchange. Most buyers only pay G$ (Guyanese dollar).
So if the mining entrepreneur needs to import something he or she has to buy
convertible currency against an unfavorable exchange rate. In Suriname, one may find
USD, Euro, or SRD in buying houses.
Guyanese gold entrepreneurs with large amounts of gold for sale probably travel to Paramaribo
to sell their product, as there are no gold buying houses in Nickerie. Miners sell small amounts
directly to jewelers and goldsmiths in Nickerie, often through home delivery. When they have a
specific need, local jewelers and goldsmiths also cross the border themselves to purchase gold
in Guyana. According to an anonymous informant, Suriname buyers also travel to Guyana to
buy gold to meet the quota established in their mandate.
In the district of Nickerie, policy makers have adopted a policy of tolerance (gedoogbeleid) vis‐
à‐vis the purchase of gold from Guyanese porknockers (gold miners), explained the District
Commissioner of Nickerie in an interview 68 . After all, the goldsmiths and jewelers have to work,
and without gold this is impossible. The Western Police Commander in Nickerie confirmed that
there is no police control on the origin of the gold used and offered for sale by jewelers.
Controlling the Suriname‐Guyana border is very difficult for both the Guyanese and the
Suriname customs officers because the border, delineated by the Corantijn River, is long,
densely forested, and sparsely populated. There are many small private boat landings and other
66 R. Vieira, WWF‐Guianas in Guyana
67 Email conversation, 29 March 2010
68 DC Shankar, District Commissioner Nickerie, 31 March 2010
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