The Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and the National Minerals Agency (NMA) have clarified that JM Mining Kenema (SL) Limited never obtained a Large-Scale Mining Licence in Sierra Leone, rejecting claims that such a licence was revoked or withdrawn by the Government.
According to a joint statement issued by the two institutions on August 5, 2026, JM Mining received only a conditional offer of mineral rights, which required the company to formally accept the offer and pay the prescribed statutory fees before a licence could be issued.
The Government said the conditional offer eventually lapsed after the company failed to meet the legal and financial requirements within the prescribed period, despite being granted several opportunities to comply.
The statement explained that JM Mining received the conditional offer on January 23, 2025, following a recommendation by the Minerals Advisory Board and approval by the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources.
Under Section 108(5) of the Mines and Minerals Development Act, an applicant must accept a conditional offer in writing and settle all prescribed statutory fees before a mining licence can be granted.
“A conditional offer is not a licence,” the Government stressed, maintaining that no licence could have been revoked because none had been issued to the company.
The Ministry and NMA said the Government provided substantial institutional support to JM Mining throughout the application process. That assistance reportedly included intervention by the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources to help resolve an earlier dispute between the company and the Environment Protection Agency.
The NMA also provided guidance to assist the company in meeting the requirements for an environmental licence and the proposed mineral right.
According to the statement, the NMA delayed issuing the statutory payment demand for approximately six months at the company’s request, allowing it additional time to secure financing.
Official Orders to Pay were eventually issued on July 24, 2025, requiring JM Mining to pay US$1 million in licence fees and US$100,000 in monitoring fees within 30 days.
The initial payment deadline expired on August 23, 2025, without the required fees being paid.
Following a formal payment demand from the National Revenue Authority on October 28, 2025, the company reportedly requested an extension until December 31, 2025. The Government said that deadline also passed without payment.
JM Mining subsequently requested a new Order to Pay on January 29, 2026, acknowledging that the earlier payment obligations had not been fulfilled.
On January 30, 2026, the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources formally confirmed that the conditional offer had lapsed and rescinded it. The Government noted that this decision came 372 days after the offer was approved and 190 days after the payment orders were issued—well beyond the statutory payment period.
The Ministry and NMA further disclosed that JM Mining admitted its payment default in three separate written communications.
The company reportedly acknowledged the outstanding licence and monitoring fees in a letter to the Commissioner-General of the National Revenue Authority on October 31, 2025. Similar admissions were made to the Director of Mines on January 15 and January 29, 2026.
The Government rejected suggestions that its handling of the matter was arbitrary or hostile to foreign investment. It said the process was reviewed by the Minerals Advisory Board and conducted in accordance with the Mines and Minerals Development Act, with all relevant decisions supported by official records.
According to the statement, waiving US$1.1 million in statutory fees for a single applicant would undermine regulatory integrity, weaken equal treatment and disadvantage mining operators that have complied with the country’s licensing requirements.
The Government reaffirmed its commitment to welcoming responsible local and foreign investment in Sierra Leone’s mineral sector while insisting that every investor must fulfil the same legal and financial obligations.
“Sierra Leone’s mineral resources belong to the people of Sierra Leone and will be entrusted only to those who meet their obligations under the law,” the joint statement concluded.
