- The Ministry of Mines and Energy has confirmed that every ounce of gold exported by Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC) is tracked and verified under government supervision, from the company's smelter in Grand Cape Mount County to the point of export at Roberts International Airport.
By Gibson Gee, Blamo N. Toe & Lennart Dodoo
In a formal response to The Liberian Investigator, the ministry said its officials, along with those from the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), attach numbered government seals to every gold shipment and jointly witness each stage of the process before export.
"The Ministry can confirm that every gold shipment from Bea Mountain is sealed and tracked from the mine to the port of exit," the statement said. "On behalf of the Government of Liberia, the Ministry and the LRA witness and attach their respective numbered seals during the preparation of the gold dore for shipment."
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The ministry said verification of the seals and documentation also takes place at the port of exit, where additional government representatives sign off before any shipment is allowed to depart the country.
"Verification of the integrity of the seals and all other vital details is also done at the port of exit and signed off by government representatives before the shipment is allowed to depart," the ministry added.
Bea Mountain: "There Are No Secret Flights"
In a separate interview, Bea Mountain's Country Manager,Debar Allen, welcomed the ministry's statement and said it vindicates the company's long-held belief that every ounce of gold produced is fully accounted for under Liberia's laws.
"There are no secret flights," Allen said. "Our airstrip has been licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority since 2016; it is inspected regularly, and every shipment is sealed by the Ministry of Mines and the Liberia Revenue Authority before leaving Liberia."
He added that Bea Mountain sells its gold to a single refinery in Switzerland under a tripartite agreement with the Government of Liberia, which independently confirms the value and volume for royalty and tax purposes.
"Nothing is hidden," he said. "When the refinery completes processing, it reports the refined quantity and value directly to the government, independent of Bea Mountain."
Allen emphasized that government monitors are physically present at critical stages, including smelting, weighing, and packaging, before any shipment leaves the mine site.
"There is absolute transparency in the production and sale process," he said. "Royalties are calculated from the refinery's report to Liberian authorities, not from Bea Mountain's word."
Civil Aviation Confirms Licensed Airstrip
To verify whether the company's flights comply with national aviation rules, The Liberian Investigator contacted the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA), which confirmed that Bea Mountain's airstrip, known as Liberty Airstrip, has been fully compliant since 2016.
Atty. F. Augustine C. Tamba, LCAA's Deputy Director for Technical Services, stated that he personally led the team that inspected and licensed the airstrip while serving as head of the Aerodrome and Air Navigation Section.
"We got all the perimeters, and if you check the Civil Aviation website now, you will see 'Liberty Airstrip' listed among the privately owned airstrips in Liberia," Tamba said. "It was licensed and inspected by the Civil Aviation Authority since 2016."
However, he clarified that LCAA's mandate is limited to aviation safety, not to cargo or the content of shipments.
"We do not deal with that; we are only responsible for regulating the aviation industry," he said. "By speaking on that matter, we would be overstepping our bounds. The authority that should be handling cargo monitoring is Customs, not the LCAA."
Tamba explained that the agency's work focuses on aircraft safety, passenger movement, and ensuring destination security.
"When you see an LCAA employee on the airstrip, we are checking passenger movement, not cargo," he said, noting that the Authority's inspection visits have slowed due to logistical constraints but that the airstrip's compliance status remains valid.
From Airstrip to Export: The Oversight Chain
According to the Ministry of Mines, the gold-export oversight chain is multilayered. After gold dore is smelted and weighed, Ministry and LRA officials seal each crate, record the serial numbers, and accompany the shipment to RIA.
At the airport, the same agencies verify that seals remain intact before loading. Only after both confirm compliance does Customs authorize departure.
This chain, the Ministry said, provides a continuous audit trail for every shipment leaving Liberia.
Allen said the company's choice to fly gold internally from its mine to RIA, using a small Cessna aircraft, is motivated purely by security and efficiency, not secrecy.
"It's safer than trucking high-value cargo hundreds of kilometers on rural roads," he said. "Every crate is sealed, logged, and witnessed before flight."
LRA: Financial Oversight Through LEITI
At the fiscal end of the process, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) confirmed that all tax and royalty data related to Bea Mountain's exports are collected and managed under confidentiality rules, but independent verification is publicly available through the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI).
"Kindly check with LEITI for the detailed information," said Danicius Kaihenneh Sengbeh, LRA's Communications Manager. "We are obligated to maintain the confidentiality of taxpayers' files; therefore, we are unable to disclose those details directly. LEITI is the appropriate institution to access this information."
The Liberian Investigator could not get comments from LEITI.
However, in its note to The Liberian Investigator, the Ministry of Mines and Energy said royalty rates are fixed and consistent with the Liberian Revenue Code and Bea Mountain's Mineral Development Agreement (MDA).
In 2024, Bea Mountain paid royalties in line with the rate prescribed by law.
According to the ministry, payments remain current as of 2025 and are subject to verification by both the LRA and MFDP.
The statement added that all figures are auditable through LEITI and are part of Liberia's annual Extractive Industries Transparency Report.
Relocation and Land Rights
Turning to land and resettlement, the Ministry acknowledged that its own oversight was limited in the Jikandor/Jikanda relocation, where residents were moved away from areas close to the mine.
"In this particular instance, the EPA provided oversight; hence, the EPA may be better placed to provide additional response," the ministry said, attaching a copy of the MOU between the company and the community.
Allen said that relocation was conducted under the supervision of community lawyers and government monitors, with compensation and consultation guided by international best practices.
"Assertions that we indiscriminately push people off land are false," he said. "Every relocation has gone through due process."
He noted that Bea Mountain's main concession spans about 5,000 acres in the Kinjah-Kinjor area under a 2014 lease and that any expansion involves separate negotiations with recognized customary authorities vetted by the Liberia Land Authority.
Environmental Oversight and Allegations of Pollution
The Ministry of Mines' statement did not directly address pollution allegations, referring instead to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the competent regulator for environmental compliance.
Allen said the EPA conducts unannounced inspections and that Bea Mountain's water and waste management systems are routinely tested by independent third-party firms.
"The EPA sends unannounced teams and has the power to investigate any complaint," he said. "Some accusations have even been made in areas where we are not operating."
He reiterated that waste and reagent disposal follow strict procedures and that the company welcomes third-party audits.
"We have nothing to hide," he said. "EPA inspections are random, and we welcome them."
Labor, Safety, and Workforce Composition
According to Allen, Bea Mountain employs nearly 6,000 people, including about 5,000 Liberians. This number includes contractors providing catering, logistics, and security.
He pointed to an active workers' union and a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that sets standards for wages, housing, health, and safety.
"The union engages management routinely on compliance," Allen said, adding that the Ministry of Labor also conducts periodic inspections. "Expatriates are hired only when specific technical skills or experience are required."
He said skills-transfer programs are underway to localize more roles over time.
Security and Human Rights Concerns
Regarding allegations of heavy-handed security or intimidation of protesters, Allen stated that the company's internal security force is unarmed and primarily staffed by local firms.
"There is no way we would instruct people to brutalize their own communities," he said.
Allen added that Bea Mountain uses a small number of trained guard dogs in high-value areas like fuel farms, handled by trained Liberian staff.
"The dogs deter theft at night," he said. "No employee has lost a job because of the dogs."
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Community Relations and Development Funds
Under its Mineral Development Agreement, Bea Mountain contributes to both a Community Development Fund and a Clan Development Fund, channeling roughly $150,000 per clan annually in the Darblo, Mana, and Laar clans of Gola Konneh District.
Allen said these funds are co-managed with local leaders, who select projects while the company provides technical oversight to ensure proper construction and accounting.
"Judge us by whether we meet our obligations, including royalties, taxes, surface rentals, and community funds, as spelled out in the MDA," Allen said. "The government, not a private mining company, is responsible for providing universal health care and public infrastructure. Where gaps exist, we step in carefully, but we cannot replace the state."
A 25-Year Horizon and Rising Expectations
Bea Mountain first signed its MDA in 2013, renewed it in 2023 for another 25 years, and started full production in 2016.
Allen said the long-term agreement provides stability for planning but also raises public expectations in areas where state services are still weak.
"We operate in places where state capacity is stretched, so communities understandably look to the company for everything from water to electricity," he said.
He noted that the company has built boreholes, wells, and water towers in several towns and continues to expand social-investment programs.
"No MDA requires a company to replace the government," he said. "Still, we step in where we can."
Toward Shared Accountability
Still, tensions remain in Bea Mountain's host communities, where residents have staged periodic protests over land, jobs, and environmental impacts.
Allen said the company is expanding its stakeholder engagement program, with community liaisons stationed across affected towns to document grievances and coordinate responses.
"We rely on ongoing dialogue and transparency to rebuild trust," he said. "Natural resources must be harnessed for development, and companies like BMMC serve as models for future investors."
He added that Bea Mountain's performance will influence how future investors perceive Liberia's mining environment.
"How we operate, and how communities accept us, will set the standard for responsible mining in Liberia," he said.
