MAY 30, 2025-MONROVIA: The Ministry of Mines and Energy has discovered that holders of Class ‘C’ Mining Licenses in Grand Gedeh County are involved with the unauthorized use of earth-moving equipment (Excavators), contrary to the terms of this category of Mining License which restrict artisanal and small-scale mining to the use of shovel for mineral recovery.
According to the Minerals and Mining Law of 2000, Class ‘C’ Mining License is exclusively set aside for Liberians only in order to promote the participation of locals in the mineral sector thus enabling them support their livelihoods. But, in flagrant violation of this provision of the Mining Law, the Mines and Energy Ministry’s Compliance Enforcement Team revealed that some citizens in the CVI community – a part of Grand Gedeh which major livelihood activity is mining, Liberians are colluding with foreigners to carry out large scale mining operations using excavators and at the same time failing to do back-filling or reclamation of open-pits.
With collaboration from state securities, the Ministry of Mines and Energy has confiscated keys to the excavators seen on mining sites in the CVI area, and the Ministry has also seized all other contraband equipment the illicit miners were using to violate procedures provided by the Mining Law for Class ‘C’ License.
The Compliance Enforcement Team reports that these violations were taking place in Konobo, and Putu Mining Districts in Grand Gedeh County by several holders of Class ‘C’, and ‘B’ License holders. All further mining activities in those areas have been shut down by the Compliance Team through the issuance of Closure Orders. The Licensees will be thoroughly investigated by the Ministry and turned over to the Justice Ministry for prosecution based on the gravity of their violations.
Mines and Energy Minister Wilmot Paye assures the public that the Ministry will not relent in weeding out unscrupulous individuals from the mining sector whose intent is to bypass the law, defraud the Country of revenue generated from mining the Country’s minerals, and stifle support needed through the national budget to fund development programs of the government.
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