ANC Political Leader Demands Overhaul of Liberia’s Mining Deals Amid Gold Export Discrepancies

MONROVIA, LIBERIA — April 15, 2026: The Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Alexander Benedict Cummings, has called for a comprehensive restructuring of Liberia’s mining concession agreements, following massive discrepancies in gold production and export figures, coupled with low national returns, as evidence of systemic weaknesses within existing agreements governing major operators, including Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC).

‎Speaking during a podcast engagement on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, Cummings asserted that Liberia’s extractive sector continues to generate substantial mineral output and export value without a corresponding reflection in public revenue, emphasizing that the prevailing concession framework has failed to ensure equitable distribution of the country’s natural resources.

‎His statement came in the wake of sector data indicating contrasting production and export figures, including reports suggesting monthly gold output in the range of 700 kilograms, while official records from the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) document exports exceeding 12,000 kilograms in 2023, valued at over US$653 million, a disparity he noted raises concerns regarding the accuracy, verification, and transparency of reporting mechanisms within the sector.

‎“Nearly US$700 million in gold left Liberia, yet the question remains whether the Liberian people received a fair share,” Alexander Cummings asserted.

‎The ANC Political Leader further observed that despite these substantial extraction volumes, Liberia’s fiscal returns remain limited, with royalty and benefit structures averaging approximately three percent, amounting to an estimated US$33.47 million in the 2023 fiscal year, a figure he described as inconsistent with the scale of resource extraction and indicative of structural deficiencies in concession design.

‎"The Bea Mountain agreement, approved in 2013 and renewed in 2023, reflects continuity without meaningful reform,” the ANC Political Leader stated.

‎He also highlighted the historical context of existing mining agreements, noting that several key concessions, including those involving Bea Mountain Mining Corporation, were negotiated during the post-conflict investment recovery period and subsequently renewed without significant recalibration to align with current economic realities and production capacities.

‎“We continue to undervalue our resources, and the result is persistent hardship for our people,” he continued.

‎In response, Cummings proposed the adoption of production-sharing agreements, which, according to him, would guarantee the government a direct stake in extracted resources, alongside the potential establishment of a national resource entity to enhance state participation.

‎“Liberia must adopt production-sharing models to secure direct value from its natural resources,” ANC Cummings proposed.

‎He added that strengthened governance, enhanced regulatory oversight, and enforceable transparency standards remain critical to ensuring that Liberia’s natural resources translate into tangible national development outcomes, particularly in mining-affected regions such as Grand Cape Mount County, where socio-economic conditions continue to reflect limited benefit from sustained extraction activities.