ACCOUNTABLE MINING

Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia is part of the first cohort of 20 Transparency International Chapters involved in TI’s global programme to improve transparency in the process of awarding mining permits. 

This global programme seeks to improve transparency and accountability in the extractive industries, focusing specifically on the very first link in the mining value chain: the decisions by government to grant mining or exploration permits and licenses and negotiate contracts.

The Chapter found important corruption risks that lead to poor outcomes in the process of awarding mining licences:

• Because the governance arrangements of the mining sector are complex, overseen by a number of different public institutions and laws, this leads to inefficiencies, delays in processing contracts and licences, unclear application procedures and multiple actors signing onto concessions.
• Laws and regulations are not well enforced, and some key requirements are deliberately disregarded. For example, when reviewing applications for mining permits, public officials do not conduct due diligence, nor do they properly scrutinise draft concession agreements.
• Major stakeholders, especially citizens’ participation and access to essential information, are exceedingly limited, thereby leading to frequent violations of affected mining communities’ rights.