Minister Paye has lamented that Liberians are ignoring the laws and illegally placing their mineral resources in the hands of foreigners.
By Lincoln G. Peters
Monrovia, November 25, 2024: Liberia’s Mines and Energy Minister Wilmot Paye has expressed frustration at mining cooperatives operating in Liberia for allegedly colluding with foreigners to exploit Liberia’s resources.
During an acquaintance meeting with about 19 mining cooperatives recently,
Minister Paye urged them to end their partnerships with foreigners who do not mean well for the country’s development.
He complained about their alleged involvement in illicit and illegal mining practices and procedures.
The Mines and Energy Minister stressed that colluding with such wrong businesspeople undermines national development and impedes the economic empowerment of Liberians.
Minister Paye told the artisanal and small-scale miners that acts of aiding and abetting wrongful practices in Class ‘B’ and ‘C’ mining license categories do not happen in isolation.
In exchange for goodwill and other opportunities, he stated that local townspeople provide access and protection for strangers.
The Minister disclosed that Liberians are ignoring the laws and illegally placing their mineral resources in the hands of outsiders.
Yet, he continued, they are expecting good outcomes and benefits when they are robbing themselves and the country in general.
To right the wrongs, the Mines and Energy Minister informed the mining cooperatives that the Ministry had taken some practical steps, including re-profiling every license holder.
Minister Paye divulged that all members of cooperatives present at the November 21, 2024, meeting will be properly profiled by cross-checking the status of their respective mining licenses.
Minister Paye assured that such a move would be extended to every other small-scale miner.
He expressed his administration’s openness and willingness to work collaboratively with the mining cooperatives to ensure a vibrant and sustainable mining sector.
Premiering on Minister Paye’s reform agenda at the Ministry of Mines and Energy is to make services of the ministry accessible to miners regardless of mining district, region, or county.
To achieve this ambitious plan, the Minister told the cooperatives that his team is working tirelessly to set up county offices to handle tasks such as license renewal, grievance redress, or dispute resolution, among others.
To put words into action, he said the Ministry will provide mobility for its county staff to include motorbikes, vehicles, and other field and office equipment to make the offices functional.
“No foreigner or alien who knows no one in Liberia will transport themselves here, enter Monrovia, and get on a car and just settle into our towns and villages all by themselves…,” said Minister Paye.
Minister Paye used the acquaintance gathering to assure the cooperatives of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s commitment to providing a conducive environment for them to do their mining businesses and benefit from the minerals God has blessed their country with.
The cooperative members made a passionate plea for the Government of Liberia to grant them the right to use earth-moving equipment such as excavators to enhance their mining operations.
They gave the Ministry of Mines and Energy a firsthand account of their experiences in the artisanal and small-scale mining sub-sector.
Providing justifications, they informed the Ministry that illegal activities, including the use of contraband materials, are causing difficulty for local daily hire or mine workers to commit to working on their mining claims as was done over the years.
The Miners further disclosed that illicit and illegal Miners are violating the law daily by mining minerals in the Sarpo National Park in Sinor County.
They decried huge incentives illegal Miners use to induce daily hire staff to turn down job offers with the cooperatives.
According to them, this is imposing economic hardship on them as they rely mainly on small-scale mining for their livelihood.
Hence, they want the government, through the Mines and Energy Ministry, to put in place a permit system that allows for the use of yellow machines by cooperatives.
Due to the barrage of difficulties, they face daily, the cooperatives said foreigners and aliens have taken over mining activities in their communities.
They stated that the foreigners use earthmoving equipment, and they are refusing to live up to agreements entered into with local government authorities.
Having listened to their concerns and complaints, the Ministry indicated that the necessary steps will be taken to fix the system.
The meet-and-greet program was attended by Deputy and Assistant Ministers of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, representatives from the German non-governmental organization – GIZ, and the Cooperative Development Agency (CDA).
