Liberia: Ministry of Mines and Energy Advances Efforts To Revise Liberia’s Mining Law of 2000

Monrovia-Government, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), has concluded an endeavor to strengthen guidelines surrounding Liberia’s mining sectors through a technical exercise, revising the existing Mining Law of 2000.

This policy would compelled investors interested in mining Liberia’s minerals to comply with laws that commensurate with global standards and acceptable practices, in a move intended to create a conducive atmosphere.

 For almost 24 years, mining activities in Liberia have been carried out using the current law, which, the administration of Mines and Energy Minister, Wilmot Paye, has placed under review to advance recommendations to amend key portions, where necessary to put Liberia on par with global counterparts.

 The undertaking assembled key technicians of the Mines and Energy Ministry including lawyers, in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, during which specific portions of the existing law requiring reforms were identified.

Giving a brief overview of the revision, Mines and Energy Minister Wilmot Paye indicated that the proposed amendments will go through a validation process to satisfy the instrument for submission to the President, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., to form part of his legislative agenda for 2025.

Minister Paye intoned that the proposals from the discussion, will make the Mining Law much more explicit in ‘intents and purpose’, outlining clear roles and responsibilities of miners, the government, and communities.

These proposals will accordingly allow for scrupulous supervision over mining procedures and practices, and further define mineral rights, license categories and regulations that support enforcement of the law.

The Mining Law review is also taking into serious consideration, more presence and participation of Liberians whose actual benefit from the mineral resources of their Country should be protected.

“The mining sector is one of the engines of revenue generation to support national development programs captured in the national budget. This makes it necessary for government’s authorities supervising the sector to ensure that laws governing the sector are strengthened and fully implemented,” Minister Paye averred.

The internal review of the Mining Law took place in November and was carried out by Ministers, Geologists, Mining Engineers, and the legal team of the Ministry.

In another development, efforts aimed at ensuring that Liberia’s National Energy Policy (NEP) meets present realities are of paramount concern to the Government of Liberia.

Beginning Monday, November 11, a stakeholder’s validation will commence in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.

 A dispatch from the Ministry (MME) says, energy sector working group institutions and the Department of Energy of the Ministry of Mines and Energy will form part of the three-day roundtable in Grand Bassa County.

This knowledge-sharing initiative follows a previous one held in mid-September, during which several recommendations were advanced and intended to make necessary reforms to the policy so that the instrument can bring parity amongst sector actors.

These consultations, according to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, intend to arrive at a final validation that will clearly define roles and responsibilities of all energy sector working group members.

The policy supports adherence to the Energy Law of 2015.

 The Ministry of Mines and Energy chairs the Energy Sector Working Group (ESWG), with the Rural Renewable Energy Agency (RREA), Co-chairs.

Members include Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA), National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL). Others are Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC), and the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC).