Published: April 17, 2026
MONROVIA — Liberia’s concession oversight body has uncovered more than $23 million in unpaid taxes and penalties against three mining and resource companies, declaring the findings the result of intensified audits under new leadership while clearing APM Terminals of any violations.
National Bureau of Concessions Director General Hanson Kiazolu said Thursday that Western Cluster owes $19 million in back taxes, Hummingbird Resources $3.5 million and EPO $500,000, while LAC faces a separate $25,000 fine. He said the bureau is working with the Liberia Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to enforce collection.
“Arrangements are being made in collaboration with the LRA and the Ministry of Finance to ensure that these fines are duly settled in accordance with applicable laws and regulations,” Kiazolu said.
APM Terminals, operator of the Freeport of Monrovia, was found fully compliant with its concession and Mineral Development Agreement obligations under the same audit exercise.
Kiazolu attributed the enforcement push to institutional reforms that followed a leadership transition at the bureau on Nov. 28, 2025, saying the agency has since overhauled internal systems and deepened stakeholder engagement. He framed the crackdown as part of a broader government effort to extract greater value from the concession sector, which he described as a central driver of government revenue, employment and infrastructure investment.
He was careful to frame the bureau’s role as bilateral, noting that concessionaires must comply with labor, environmental and fiscal obligations while the government bears responsibility for maintaining a stable operating environment.
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