Liberia wants its minerals processed at home
At a town hall in Bomi County, the mines minister said the test is how much value stays in the country, and floated a gold refinery and a state mining company.
Tubmanburg — Liberia's government wants more of its minerals processed inside the country and is working towards setting up a state-owned mining company, officials told a public meeting in Bomi County, The New Republic Liberia reports.
The mines and energy minister, R. Matenokay Tingban, told the town hall in Tubmanburg on 9 October that the real question is how much value remains in Liberia once a mineral has been dug up, not simply how much is extracted.
He said the ministry is discussing processing plants and proposals for a gold refinery, and gave gold and lead from Grand Kru County as examples of what could be processed locally. Revenue, he argued, should not be the only yardstick: jobs, business for local firms, community development and protection of the environment count as well.
The numbers
Mr Tingban said mining contributed about $121 million in 2023 and about $124 million in 2024.
The head of the Liberia Revenue Authority, James Dorbor Jallah, gave a larger figure in his presentation: about $432 million from mining out of $1.059 billion in revenue collected. The report does not explain the difference between the two sets of figures, which may cover different periods or definitions.
The acting information minister urged residents to demand to know how mining money is turned into roads, schools, clinics and jobs, particularly in the communities where the mining happens.
Illegal mining
Officials said mining equipment had been seized in Bomi County during enforcement operations, and that investigations into suspected illegal mining are continuing and will be made public. Residents raised the involvement of foreign nationals, Chinese citizens among them.
Some operations have been suspended for six months. Officials said they would check whether operators have met their legal obligations, and paid what they owe the government, before any licence is renewed. They acknowledged that policing remote forest areas is difficult and asked communities to report what they see.
Scholarships
Residents asked about scholarships for Liberian students abroad. A government representative said some mineral development agreements include community and social commitments, citing ArcelorMittal's, and promised details from the education authorities.
This report is based on reporting by The New Republic Liberia, via AllAfrica.
