Minister Wilmot Paye, along with the Senior Management Team and Technicians, participated in a Mining Law Review Working Session in Buchanan.
MINISTRY OF MINES AND ENERGY, RL/11/08/’24-Monrovia: In a move intended to create a conducive atmosphere in which investors interested in mining Liberia’s minerals can do so in compliance with laws that commensurate with global standards and acceptable practices, the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), is nearing conclusion of a technical exercise seeking to revise the existing Mining Law of 2000.
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 in order to advance recommendations to amend key portions where necessary to put the Country {Liberia} on par with global counterparts. This endeavor 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, Deputy 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 derived at 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 also 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. The internal review of the Mining Law took place on the weekend of November 1, 2024. The exercise was carried out by Ministers, Geologists, Mining Engineers, and the legal team of the Ministry.