Monrovia — The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), is finalizing a comprehensive review of the Mining Law of 2000, aiming to align Liberia’s mining regulations with international standards to attract responsible investment in the mineral sector. This initiative, led by Mines and Energy Minister Wilmot Paye, is a technical effort to modernize the two-decade-old law that has governed Liberia’s mining sector.
After nearly 24 years of adherence to the existing mining legislation, Minister Paye’s administration has undertaken a review process to recommend amendments to critical sections of the law. The recent workshop in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, brought together legal experts and key technical personnel from the ministry. During this session, they identified specific areas in need of reform to ensure that Liberia’s mining framework matches global best practices.
Minister Paye stated that the proposed amendments would undergo a validation process before being submitted to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai as part of his legislative agenda for 2025. These revisions, he explained, aim to clarify the roles and responsibilities of miners, government agencies, and communities, ensuring robust oversight of mining practices. The proposed changes also seek to strengthen enforcement, defining mineral rights, license categories, and regulatory standards.
A significant aspect of the law’s revision includes provisions for increased participation and benefits for Liberians in the mining industry, highlighting the sector’s role as a crucial revenue source for national development programs. The internal review exercise, conducted over the weekend of November 1, 2024, involved the ministry’s leadership, geologists, mining engineers, and legal advisors.
In related efforts, the government is preparing to update Liberia’s National Energy Policy (NEP) to reflect current realities and ensure comprehensive sectoral alignment. Beginning on Monday, November 11, 2024, a three-day stakeholders’ validation meeting will be held in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. The Ministry of Mines and Energy has confirmed that representatives from key energy institutions and the Department of Energy will participate in this roundtable discussion.
This initiative builds on recommendations from a previous consultation held in September, with the goal of refining the NEP to bring unity among sector actors. The discussions are expected to clarify the roles and responsibilities of members of the Energy Sector Working Group (ESWG), in line with the Energy Law of 2015. The ESWG is chaired by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, with the Rural Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) as co-chair. Other participating entities include the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA), National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC), and the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC).
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