Liberia: Mines Ministry, Partners Begin Nationwide Risk Assessment in Artisanal Mining Sector

Tappita, Nimba County – The Ministry of Mines and Energy, in collaboration with key government institutions, has launched a nationwide risk assessment survey targeting illicit financial flows, money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing within the artisanal and small-scale mining sub-sector.

According to the Ministry’s Public Relations Department, the exercise began on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, in the Tappita Mining District, Nimba County, and will later extend to small-scale mining communities in Grand Gedeh County.

At a brief introductory ceremony held at the Tappita City Palaver Hut, representatives from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) emphasized that the survey aims to generate data to inform government strategies in combating illegal financial transactions in the mining industry.

Respondents are completing questionnaires on financial and security-related issues, highlighting factors that may contribute to illicit financial practices in artisanal and small-scale mining operations.

Participants include mineral brokers, dealers, jewelry shop operators, local authorities, miners, and representatives of national security agencies such as the Liberia National Police (LNP), Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).

The initiative is funded by the German development organization GIZ and jointly implemented by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), FIA, LACC, and the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL). Organizers say subsequent phases of the survey will cover additional counties and mining regions across Liberia.