By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
— The 2026 Budget Debates took a sharp turn into the extractive industries on Tuesday, as Sharma Solomon, APNU Representative and Spokesperson on Natural Resources, delivered a blistering critique of the government’s management of the gold, bauxite, and forestry sectors. Solomon argued that despite the country’s oil wealth, the traditional non-oil extractive industries are suffering from “structural neglect” and “weak oversight.”
The Gold Production “Disconnect”
Solomon drew particular attention to the consistent failure to meet gold declaration targets. He noted that while the government continues to set high benchmarks, actual production has largely trended downward since the high-water marks of the mid-2010s.
“With a constant target being set of 500,000 ounces, Mr. Speaker, we have never hit that target,” Solomon told the National Assembly. “Somebody is firing blanks. The aim needs to change because we are missing the mark year after year.”
Solomon contrasted current figures with the period between 2016 and 2020, during which he claimed gold declarations averaged above the 500,000-ounce threshold under the APNU+AFC coalition. He asserted that the current decline is a result of the government dismantling support systems for small miners, such as gold barter arrangements, which previously kept wealth circulating in local communities.
Forestry and Bauxite Under Fire
The MP also extended his criticism to the forestry and bauxite sectors, sharing observations from a recent visit to Kwakwani. He reported that local logging communities feel “abandoned,” with foreign concessions encroaching on residential areas and a promised $900 million fund for small loggers remaining inaccessible.
“Timber leaves these regions daily, but the roads are in ruins and the people are suffering,” Solomon stated. Regarding bauxite, he warned that the return of the Russian company RUSAL lacks transparent revenue-sharing and environmental safeguards for the people of Region 10.
Government Rebuttal: A Sector “Resurrected”
Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat countered Solomon’s “abysmal” characterization, arguing that the gold sector has been “resurrected” under the current administration. He provided the following data to support the government’s position:
- Declaration Rebound: Gold declarations rose by over 52,000 ounces combined across 2024 and 2025.
- Infrastructure Investment: Over $10 billion has been spent on hinterland roads to assist small miners.
- 2026 Target: The government is projecting a robust 510,450 ounces for the current fiscal year.
Minister Bharrat also took a jab at the opposition’s historical claims, stating that the high production levels seen in 2016 were the “fruits of the PPP’s labor” through projects greenlit prior to 2015. He maintained that the sector is now more transparent than ever, with oil and gold revenues regularly gazetted for public scrutiny.
