GUYANA · GOLD
Key Facts
- Limit: Up to G$6 million (Guyana dollars, about US$29,000) in cash, then cheque or bank transfer.
- Before: G$1.5 million (about US$7,200), Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat said in February 2026.
- Why: Bharrat tied the move to interior mining areas with limited banking.
- Open point: The Gold Board website still lists lower limits at its branches.
Guyana’s Gold Board, the state agency that buys the country’s gold, pays sellers up to G$6 million (about US$29,000) in cash, and larger sales go by cheque or bank transfer. G$ means Guyana dollars, and we use about G$208 per US$1.
Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat said the limit had been raised from G$1.5 million (about US$7,200), and a report on Thursday 12 November 2026 describes a fresh announcement of the same figure. We could not confirm that new announcement, and the board’s own website has not caught up.
What Changed
Bharrat told lawmakers in the National Assembly, Guyana’s parliament, on Tuesday 10 February 2026 that the Gold Board had raised its cash payment from G$1.5 million to G$6 million. He said purchases above that are paid by cheque or electronic transfer into the seller’s bank account.
The Gold Board is the state buyer created in 1982 under the Guyana Gold Board Act. Its website says all gold produced in Guyana must be sold to the board or to one of its authorised agents.
Why Miners Want Cash
The minister said the Government would keep watching the gold price to decide whether further changes are needed, in remarks during the 2026 budget estimates debate. The 12 November report says the ministry wants to give miners more flexibility in interior communities where banking is hard to reach, and to encourage more gold to be declared through the formal sector.
Declared gold means gold formally reported to the board. We could not check the ministry’s own wording of that statement.
What the Figures Show
Bharrat told lawmakers that small and medium-scale miners declared about 317,000 ounces of gold in 2025, and a record 81,000 ounces in December alone. He also said the Gold Board’s own purchases reached 195,000 ounces, a first for the board, according to the Guyana Times, a Georgetown daily, on 13 February 2026.
He said enforcement is not meant to push small miners out. It is meant to make sure their production matches what they declare.
What Is Not Known
We found no Gold Board or ministry notice dated November 2026, so we cannot confirm the 12 November report that the limit is G$6 million per day or that it replaced a G$2 million limit. The February testimony says the G$6 million figure was already in force.
The board’s undated payments page still lists branch limits of G$1.5 million at the head office and Bartica, G$2 million (about US$9,600) at Port Kaituma and Marudi, and G$5 million (about US$24,000) at Mahdia. Whether one limit now applies at every branch is not confirmed.
What It Means for You
This mainly affects miners and gold dealers in Guyana. For foreign investors in Guyanese gold projects, it shows that the Government wants more output declared through the state buyer.
It is a small rule rather than a market mover, and we will update this report if the board publishes its own notice. For wider coverage, see our Guyana news hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cash can the Guyana Gold Board pay a seller?
Up to G$6 million (about US$29,000), up from G$1.5 million (about US$7,200), Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat told lawmakers in February 2026. A report on 12 November 2026 says the limit applies per day, but we could not confirm that.
What happens if a gold sale is worth more?
The rest is paid by cheque or electronic transfer into the seller’s bank account. Bharrat described this arrangement to lawmakers in February 2026.
What is the Guyana Gold Board?
It is the state agency set up in 1982 to regulate the purchase and sale of gold. Its website says all gold produced in Guyana must be sold to the board or one of its authorised agents.
Sources: Guyana Gold Board, payments page (read Friday 13 November 2026); Guyana Government Department of Public Information, minister’s budget testimony, February 2026; Guyana Times, 13 February 2026.
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