The Gold Marketing Chain in Suriname
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in 2010 Chain Suriname Marketing World Wildlife Fund Guianas Gold The Photo courtesy of Paul San © A study commissioned by the WWF Guianas Sustainable Natural Resource Management Project GSNRMP WWF GUIANAS SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECT GSNRMP The Gold Marketing Chain in Suriname Prepared by Marieke Heemskerk September 2010 This Study was commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund – WWFGUIANAS Sustainable Natural Resources Management Project. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Wildlife Fund. Acknowledgements Conducting this study would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of many people in Suriname. We wish to thank numerous government officials for sharing their time and knowledge. A special word of thank is reserved for officials from the Currency Commission, the Central Bank of Suriname, the customs offices and police departments in Albina and Nickerie, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Chamber of Commerce, the District Commissioner’s office in Paramaribo North, and others. These public experts have helped us understand the often contrasting legal and factual realities of the gold market, and provided figures that have allowed us to demonstrate trends in gold marketing We also are grateful to the many private businessmen and ‐women who provided information about their activities and role in the gold market. These key players in the market included gold buyers and exporters, gold miners and others working in the mining areas, concessionaries, jewelers and goldsmiths. We appreciate the open manner in which they discussed their ways of operation in a market that is tough, competitive, and secretive. Out of respect for the privacy of the respondents, we have as much as possible avoided to link the names of people with controversial commentaries and private information. Several other resource persons filled in gaps in information or provided a broader view of the sector. I would like to thank Ms. Caprino (historian), Mr. Healy (anthropologist), and Mr. Tjon Sie Kie, and several WWF‐Guianas staff members for their insights. Nancy del Prado and Gina Griffith located and analyzed national laws and permit conditions to perform the legal analysis for this report. Paul San assisted with the survey among jewelers and other data collection. This study is commissioned by WWF‐Guianas, in the context of its Guianas Sustainable Resource Management Project (GSRMP) 2007‐2011. We are grateful to the Dutch Government (DGIS), French Government (FFEM) and WWF‐NL for providing financial support to make this project possible. Opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of WWF‐Guianas or other institutions the consultant is affiliated with. The consultant is responsible for all errors in translation and interpretation. Marieke Heemskerk 25 August, 2010 1 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Glossary of terms and abbreviations ............................................................................................................ 4 Summary ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 11 2. Background ......................................................................................................................................... 13 3. Methods .............................................................................................................................................. 14 3.1 The research ................................................................................................................................ 14 3.2 Qualitative interviews ................................................................................................................. 14 3.3 Survey .......................................................................................................................................... 14 4. History of the gold trade in Suriname ................................................................................................. 16 4.1 Rise and fall of the first gold rush (1880‐1910) ........................................................................... 16 4.2 Onset of the second gold mining boom: 1990 ‐ 1994 ................................................................ 19 4.3 1994‐2002 ................................................................................................................................... 20 4.4 Liberalization of the gold market: 2002‐ present ....................................................................... 22 5. Actors in gold marketing ......................................................................................................................... 24 5.1 Gold miners, mining service providers, and concessionaries ..................................................... 24 5.2 Gold buyers (licensed) ................................................................................................................ 25 5.3 Gold exporters ............................................................................................................................ 28 5.4 Informal gold traders .................................................................................................................. 30 5.5 Central bank of Suriname ........................................................................................................... 31 5.6 Currency Commission ................................................................................................................. 33 5.7 Suriname government ................................................................................................................ 34 5.8 Jewelers ....................................................................................................................................... 35 5.9 Volks Crediet Bank ...................................................................................................................... 37 5.10 Iam Gold ...................................................................................................................................... 38 5.11 Other foreign companies and institutions .................................................................................. 39 5.12 Suriname consumers, citizens, and researchers ......................................................................... 41 6. Laws and regulations concerning the gold market ............................................................................. 44 6.1 The route of gold in four stages .................................................................................................. 44 6.2 Reconnaissance and Exploration ................................................................................................ 45 2 6.3 Exploitation ................................................................................................................................. 46 6.4 Processing ................................................................................................................................... 47 6.5 Trade ........................................................................................................................................... 50 6.6 Observations about the legal context of the gold market .......................................................... 53 7. Routes of gold to, out of, and within Suriname ...................................................................................... 55 7.1 Gold entering Suriname .............................................................................................................. 55 7.2 Gold leaving Suriname ................................................................................................................ 62 7.3 Gold cycles within Suriname ....................................................................................................... 65 7.4 Storages of Suriname gold; in Suriname and abroad ................................................................. 71 8 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................................... 72 8.1 Two Marketing Chains ................................................................................................................ 72 8.2 International routes of gold into and out of Suriname ............................................................... 73 8.3 A laissez faire policy with regard to the gold market ................................................................. 75 8.4 Challenges and opportunities to the development of a market for green gold ......................... 76 Literature .................................................................................................................................................... 78 Annexes ....................................................................................................................................................... 81 Annex A. List of consulted persons ........................................................................................................