ArcelorMittal Liberia, along with other mining companies and businesses, has been inducted into the Liberia Chamber of Mines.
The Liberia Chamber of Mines is a consortium of mining companies and businesses established to help strengthen the role actors in advancing the mining industry of Liberia and complementing the government’s effort in achieving its development goals.
Speaking at the membership induction ceremonies, the President of the Liberia Chamber of Mines, Amara Kamara, said the business group is tasked with the responsibility of creating a platform where sector actors’ voices and grievances could also be channeled through dialoguing with the rightful authority.
Kamara reminded guests at the event that there are lots of challenges ahead of the chamber and Liberia regarding the mining sector and its related activities.
The certificate of membership, on behalf of AML’s CEO Jozephus Coenen, was received by Marcus Wleh, the Head of External Affairs and Sustainability.
In a formal presentation that followed, Wleh recalled that it is nearly 17 years since ArcelorMittal made a bold entry and a major investment into Liberia, thus resuscitating its mining industry destroyed because of the civil war.
ArcelorMittal was the first large business to show such belief in the country when in 2005 it signed a mineral development agreement with the Liberian government to initiate an iron ore mining project in the country.
In 2006, ArcelorMittal was the first and single largest private investor in the country since the civil war, and its commitment to Liberia led the way in demonstrating the viability of a prosperous business in Liberia.
Wleh noted that, since then, other companies, large and small, have followed AML’s lead, providing job opportunities and economic stability throughout the country.
He also shared the vision of ArcelorMittal Liberia and the huge prospects for a better and brighter future for the company and Liberia with the on-going massive expansion of operations, following the signing of a landmark third amended mineral development agreement (MDA) with the government in September 2021.
The ArcelorMittal Liberia Phase II expansion project is one of the largest mining projects in West Africa and encompasses processing, rail and port facilities, including the construction of a new concentration plant and the substantial expansion of mining operations ramping up from 5mpta to 15 million tonnes per annum (“mtpa”).
The Head of External Affairs and Sustainability at ArcelorMittal Liberia disclosed that Phase II will see a significant increase in jobs, with 2000 additional jobs during the construction phase and about 1000 additional permanent operation jobs.
He emphasized that AML’s journey into the future is guided by a commitment to health and safety that ensures and upholds the highest possible safety standards in the project’s execution as fundamental to its success.
The inductees received certificates confirming their status as recognized members of the Liberia Chamber of Mines, with all rights, privileges and opportunities appertaining to members.
The first anniversary celebration of the Chamber of Mines was attended by officials of the Ministry of Mines of Liberia, members of the diplomatic corps, including the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Liberia.