MONROVIA – JULY 2, 2026: The Chairman and Members of the newly established ‘Protect Our Resources Taskforce’ (PORT) on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, convened their first technical meeting with the Minister of Mines and Energy, R. Matenokay Tingban at the Ministry’s central office in Monrovia.
The technical gathering marked the official commencement of a coordinated national campaign the Taskforce is charged with to combat illicit mining, strengthen regulatory compliance, and safeguard the country's mineral resources. This mandate is contained in an Executive Order 167, issued Friday, June 26, 2026, by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.
With acronym – ‘PORT’, the Protect Our Resources Taskforce is a multi-agency enforcement mechanism President Boakai has set up to strengthen inspection, re-inforce compliance and resource governance across Liberia's mining sector.
The Taskforce was created in response to growing concerns over illegal mining activities by local community dwellers, public and private sector stakeholders. Some of the concerns expressed carry diverse accounts of illicit mining having the proclivity to cause environmental degradation, mineral smuggling, revenue leakages, unauthorized occupation of mining concessions, and other economic crimes that continue to undermine Liberia's development.
Chairing Wednesday’s meeting, the Minister of Mines and Energy, R. Matenokay Tingban, presented the Technical Administrative Framework (TAF) intended to guide the work of the Taskforce headed by Security Expert, Abraham Kromah. Minister Tingban described the initiative as a strategic shift toward intelligence-led enforcement, stronger institutional coordination, and responsible mineral resource management.
The Minister emphasized that Liberia's mineral resources are sovereign national assets which utilization must contribute to economic transformation, fiscal stability, environmental sustainability, and national prosperity. He noted that illegal mining can no longer be viewed simply as a licensing violation but economic sabotage, environmental misconduct, revenue theft, and an organized threat to state authority and lawful investment.
According to the technical framework, the Taskforce (PORT) will serve as a national multi-agency platform responsible for conducting routine and risk-based inspections, carrying out intelligence gathering, identifying illicit mining hotspots, coordinating enforcement operations, seizing equipment used in illicit and illegal activities, referring economic crimes for prosecution, promoting public awareness, and monitoring compliance throughout the mining sector.
The Taskforce will oversee inspections across all categories of mining operations, including industrial, commercial, and artisanal mining, while ensuring compliance with licensing requirements, royalty payments, environmental standards, occupational safety regulations, and social obligations.
The framework further outlines the Taskforce’s broader objectives of protecting Liberia's mineral resources, enhancing government revenue collection, strengthening institutional collaboration, promoting environmental stewardship, disrupting illegal mining networks, combating mineral smuggling, and encouraging responsible participation in the mining sector.
Making remarks during the meeting, illicit mining Taskforce Chairman, Abraham Kromah, called on all participating institutions to work in collaboratively as the Taskforce begins its national mandate.
"The success of this Taskforce will depend not on the efforts of one institution, but on our collective commitment to protect Liberia's natural resources. We must work as one coordinated team – sharing intelligence, enforcing the law fairly, engaging our communities, and ensuring that those who exploit our mineral wealth illegally are held accountable.
This is about protecting our environment, securing government revenue, preserving investor confidence, and ensuring that Liberia's resources benefit every Liberian, both now and in the future," Chairman Kromah stressed.
He further emphasized that ‘PORT’ would operate professionally, transparently, and within the rule of law while strengthening collaboration among all participating agencies.
Also attending the inaugural technical meeting of the newly established Presidential Taskforce were Members: Ashford Peal, Prince Mulbah, Tarnue Kesselly, and Charles Johnson, along with representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Development Planning, Justice, the Armed Forces of Liberia, Environmental Protection Agency, the Liberia Revenue Authority, and the Liberia Immigration Service.
Senior technicians and staff members of the Ministry of Mines and Energy – including the Assistant Minister for Mineral Exploration and Environmental Research, Sam Summerville, the Inspector-General for Mines, Agatius Coker, and Adolphus Gleekia – Deputy Inspector-General for Mines, among others.
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