Liberia: Ministry of Mines and Energy Terminates Several Mining Licenses

Monrovia – The Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Mines and Energy continues carve out policies and implement existing regulatory frameworks to enhance the mineral sector of Liberia.

To improve our regulatory oversight, the Ministry has embarked on the following:

1. Begun the process of reviewing the existing 2000 Minerals and Mining Laws of Liberia;
2. Banned the use of dredges and mercury during gold mining activities on our water bodies;
3. Banned the use of heavy earth moving equipment within non-Class B mining license areas;
4. Introduction of ASM identification cards;
5. Established the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Sector Working Group (ASMWG)
6. Working collaboratively with the FDA and the World Bank through Redd++ on the implementation of Smart Mining techniques during ASM operations;
7. Establishment of the Special Mineral Task Forces(SMTF);and
8. Issuance of Default Notices and Termination Notices to some Mineral Exploration license Holders that are not in compliance with the Mineral Exploration Regulations and the licenses they possessed.

Issuance Of Default Notices And Termination Notices

The Ministry has issued Termination Notices and Default Notices to fifteen (15) Mineral

Exploration license holders. These notices will affect twenty-seven (27) Mineral Exploration

Licenses.  The affected companies have either not made the requisite filings required by Section 4.1 (a), Sec 12.1 (a) or Sec. 17.1 (c) of the Mineral Exploration Regulations of Liberia. As such, some of these licenses automatically expires at the end of the Initial Term of the Extended Term without requirement of action or notification by the Minister. As the result of these notices, the companies have the right to request hearing to contest the Ministry’s justification for termination according to Sec. 17.2 of the Mineral Exploration Regulations of Liberia. 

As for those licenses that were issued Notices of Default, either the companies have not made the requisite filings required by Section 4.1 (a) within the period provided in such Section according to Sec 12.1 (a) of the Mineral Exploration Regulations, or there is no evidence of the 2% of the approved work budget for the affected licenses that apparently could neither be calculated nor verified for the periods according to Sec 9.3(b) of the Mineral Exploration Regulations; or the companies have not submitted the required Annual Environmental Audited Reports for the affected license(s) during the period under review according to Sec.10.2 of the Mineral Exploration Regulations. 

Those companies and licenses affected include but not limited to:

No.	COMPANY	LICENSE #	NOTICE
1	Mekinel Holdings Ltd	MEL 7001818	TERMINATION
2	Pedras Age Mining Company	MEL 7003319	TERMINATION
3	EarthSat Engineering Construction Inc.	MEL 7003519          MEL7004120	TERMINATION
4	BSD Mining Ltd	MEL 7003419	TERMINATION
5	Ya Ni Mining Company	MEL 9000919	TERMINATION
6	Equinox Minerals Liberia Ltd	MEL 7003619	TERMINATION
7	West Mining  Ltd.	MEL 7003118	TERMINATION
8	Tango Mining Inc.	MEL 7003018	TERMINATION
9	SRG Liberia	MEL 7004220	TERMINATION
10	Yuhem Group Liberia Ltd	MEL 7004320	TERMINATION
11	Saffron Gold Liberia Ltd	MEL 9001320          MEL9001220	TERMINATION
12	HAMAK MINING COMPANY	MEL 7001418          MEL 7002018          MEL 7001618          MEL 7002118	TERMINATION
13	Afro Anglo American Resources Inc.	MEL 7001118          MEL  7001018         MEL 7000918	DEFAULT
14	Rhino Gold Liberia Ltd	MEL 9001420          MEL 9001120	DEFAULT
15	MNG Gold Exploration Inc.	MEL 2111/16         MEL2111/16          MEL2108/16           MEL 2109/16         MEL2113/16	DEFAULT