Published: September 22, 2025
MONROVIA — The anti–illicit finance caucus in the Senate is urging the Boakai administration to suspend or revoke Hummingbird Resources’ mining license unless the company pays nearly $3.5 million in long-overdue arrears. The pressure comes as the House of Representatives has already declared the U.K.-based miner in default and directed the Executive to begin formal revocation proceedings.
By Gibson Gee & Lennart Dodoo
In a statement issued over the weekend, the Liberian Caucus of the African Parliamentarian Network Against Illicit Financial Flows and Support for Progressive Taxation (APNIFFT), led by River Gee Senator Francis Saidy Dopoh II, accused Hummingbird, which operates in Liberia under Paso Fino Gold Ltd., of deliberately ignoring its financial commitments under the country’s Mineral Development Agreement framework. The caucus said the company has failed to meet statutory obligations since 2019, depriving the state and communities of crucial revenue.
“Ordinary citizens face prosecution for default, yet a foreign corporation continues to operate after six years of non-compliance,” the caucus declared, warning that any attempt by the government to grant the company leniency would be a dangerous precedent that undermines both the rule of law and Liberia’s sovereignty.
The size of the debt
The controversy revolves around a disputed sum that falls between three competing figures. The Liberia Revenue Authority testified that Hummingbird owes $3.448 million in unpaid social development contributions and administration fees spanning 2019 to 2025. The House of Representatives, in its September directive, placed the figure at $3.485 million, aligning with guidance from the LRA and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning. The House committee’s internal breakdown of what the MDA requires, year by year, pushed the number even higher, to about $3.66 million. On top of that, the LRA’s official ledger showed a due balance of $3.955 million, which included an unexplained variance of roughly $295,000 that lawmakers believe may be penalties or sanctioned adjustments.
Hummingbird’s leadership acknowledges owing the government, but maintains the debt is closer to $2.4 million. Chief Executive Brett Richards, testifying under oath after twice missing hearings, attributed the discrepancy to operational challenges and shareholder restructuring. He pleaded for time to stabilize the company’s finances and revive what he admitted was a dormant concession.
In River Gee, Sinoe, and Maryland, where Hummingbird holds mineral rights, the social development funds in dispute were intended for clinics, school blocks, and local infrastructure. Lawmakers say each year of missed payments translates into abandoned projects and mounting frustration among communities that were promised benefits in exchange for their land.
A House inquiry turns confrontational
The crisis deepened after the House of Representatives’ Joint Committee on Concessions Review opened hearings this year to examine Hummingbird’s compliance. Richards initially failed to attend, citing health issues, but later appeared under the risk of contempt. The LRA testified that arrears had accumulated steadily since 2019, while the Finance Ministry, though providing records, declined to appear.
After deliberations, the committee gave the company 20 working days beginning August 11 to settle the debt and present an official flag receipt. Committee members said the ultimatum was necessary to protect the credibility of Liberia’s concession regime and to deter other investors from similar defaults.
As the deadline approached, Richards submitted a payment plan asking to stagger the arrears. On September 12, the House’s Chief Clerk Mildred N. Sayon acknowledged receipt of the request but insisted it would only be considered if the company first deposited $300,000 into the government’s consolidated account as evidence of good faith. That initial requirement was not met
By September 11, House leadership’s patience had run out. In a strongly worded decision, lawmakers described Richards’ conduct as “grossly disrespectful and unacceptable,” adding that his posture constituted gross misconduct. They declared Hummingbird in default of its MDA and resolved to work with the Executive Branch to initiate revocation. The House announced it would no longer engage with Richards, urging the company’s board and shareholders to replace him as chief executive. The LRA was instructed to send formal invoices directly to the board, bypassing management, and to demand immediate payment of all outstanding obligations
Less than two months earlier, Richards had assured lawmakers that the Dugbe Project would move into the construction phase, backed by financing from a major shareholder. Given the company’s failure to make even a token payment, the House said it had lost all confidence in both Richards’ credibility and the company’s financial capacity to deliver on its promises.
The Senate caucus piles on
The Senate’s APNIFFT caucus is now echoing and amplifying the House’s stance. It insists that the LRA enforce full payment, including all penalties and accrued interest, within seven business days. It further calls on the Ministry of Mines and Energy to issue an immediate notice of default and suspend Hummingbird’s license if the debt remains unsettled after 60 days, as required by Liberia’s Minerals and Mining Law
The caucus emphasized that Liberia’s mining law is explicit. Section 9.14(d) states that failure to pay taxes, duties, levies, or any other required obligations is grounds for revocation if not remedied within 60 days after notice. Section 9.15 provides that revocation takes effect two months after notice. According to the senators, government therefore has no legal justification for inaction.
Beyond enforcement, the caucus has demanded that the LRA, the Mines Ministry, and the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative conduct and publish a joint reconciliation of all arrears within 21 days, complete with a breakdown of concession fees, social development funds, penalties, and interest. It has also urged county lawmakers, especially from the Southeast, to reject any “soft arrangements” that might let the company off the hook.
The caucus is also insisting that escrow mechanisms be put in place so that communities are not left stranded if the license is suspended. Funds earmarked for clinics, schools, and local roads should continue to flow even if the concession is halted. Finally, the senators are pressing for structural reforms: automatic termination clauses in all future MDAs for persistent default, and “use-it-or-lose-it” provisions to prevent companies from sitting on mineral rights without actively developing them
An admission of debt but a plea for time
For its part, Hummingbird has acknowledged defaulting on its payments and admitted that operations are effectively dormant. Richards has argued that the concession is paralyzed by shareholder restructuring and financial distress, and he promised that the company would settle its arrears by the end of 2025. Lawmakers are skeptical. They note that assurances have been given repeatedly without action, and that Richards has failed to meet even the preliminary condition of a $300,000 down payment requested by the House.
The legal route to revocation
If the ministries follow the Legislature’s directives, the Ministry of Mines and Energy would issue a formal notice of default. Hummingbird would then have 60 days to cure the failure. If it does not, revocation would take effect two months after notice, though the ministry could suspend the license immediately if the company continues to operate in violation of the law.
That process, once started, will either force Hummingbird to make a substantial payment quickly or face the loss of its concession.
Communities and credibility at stake
The funds in question were earmarked for the County Social Development Fund, the financial lifeline for schools, clinics, and small-scale infrastructure in leeward counties. Civil society groups warn that the continued absence of these funds is stoking resentment and eroding confidence in government’s ability to negotiate and enforce concession agreements.
Legislators say the dispute is not just about one company but about Liberia’s credibility as a resource-rich state that too often allows concessionaires to skirt obligations. If Hummingbird is allowed to escape with a lenient settlement after six years of non-payment, they argue, other investors will take note and may replicate the strategy.
The APNIFFT caucus has also presented its demands within a broader African and global framework. It says Liberia is bound by the African Union Special Declaration on Illicit Financial Flows, the Addis Tax Initiative, and its obligations under the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. All of these require transparent accounting of resource revenues and strict enforcement of contractual commitments.
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