Liberia starts rewriting its mining law to qualify for a second US compact
The Law Reform Commission and the Millennium Challenge Corporation have begun reviewing the law. Legislators are pressing for stronger local content rules.
Monrovia — Liberia has begun a review of its mining law as it negotiates a second compact with the United States' Millennium Challenge Corporation, The Liberian Investigator reports.
Officials from the corporation and Liberia's Law Reform Commission held an inception meeting in Monrovia on 7 October. They discussed how the review will work, where the gaps in the current law are, and how to fit the reforms to the compact's requirements and deadlines.
Alieu Nyei, a programme officer with the corporation, said the meeting was needed to harmonise expectations among the institutions involved and to clarify the scope and method of the review.
Local content
The commission's chairperson, Bornor Varmah, said it had already held two consultative sessions with the legislature, where lawmakers raised concerns about local content provisions. The commission has also submitted a concept note and budget.
Further consultations and technical assessments are needed before any amendments become law.
Liberia's first compact was worth about $257 million and supported electricity and road maintenance.
This report is based on reporting by The Liberian Investigator, published by AllAfrica.
