Mineral Policy of Liberia

The Mineral Policy of Liberia is a policy document drafted in March 2010 to complement the Mining and Minerals Law of 2000. It outlines the government’s expectations for the sustainable development of Liberia's mineral resources, according to the United States Geological Survey, by establishing guidelines to ensure the proper management of these resources by public and private stakeholders.

=Key provisions= Specifically, the policy addresses the need to correct the many deviations of Liberia's Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) contracts with national law, noted in a later audit by the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI), saying "MDAs will be standardised and deviations from national fiscal, environmental and other regimes will be minimised." The policy also includes specific provisions on programs to promote community development and to mitigate the impact of mining operations on the environment, and seeks to ensure that communities adversely affected by mining operations derive benefits from those operations, according to the multinational steel producer ArcelorMittal.

=Framework to monitor mining sector= The document promises the development of a scorecard to enable the government to monitor the contribution of the mineral industry in nine areas, including:


 * the monitoring of national revenue and foreign exchange earnings
 * the creation of inclusive sustainable employment
 * the provision of raw materials for downstream industries and national reconstruction
 * the improvement of social and physical infrastructure, industrial, environmental, and local community development
 * the development of sustainable artisanal and small-scale mining operations
 * improvements in human infrastructure
 * technology transfer and development

=Treatment of artisanal and small scale mining= The Mineral Policy makes artisanal and small scale mining (ASM) an integral part of rural development plans, and according to the World Bank seeks to promote a healthy relationship between large-scale mining enterprises and the ASM sector. The policy recognizes that "many ASM miners require training in business and technical skills, to assist them to mine sustainably" and promises that "the Government of Liberia will facilitate the provision of such skills and the modernisation of the sector by giving access to appropriate technologies." The policy also seeks to put in place mechanisms to allow small-scale miners to benefit from technical inputs and advice from large-scale operators in Liberia.

=External links= Mineral Policy of Liberia

=References=