The Mines and Energy Minister, Wilmot Paye, has envisioned to synchronize all components of the ministry in Monrovia in order to ensure that the Ministry effectively generate serious revenues for the government to service development priorities.
He named the Ministry’s offices located on the Old Road community which are the Liberia Hydrological Service (LHS) and Liberia Geological Survey (LGS), as key in the Minister’s reform agenda that will be brought to the head-office on Capitol Hill.
He assured that those are two important components of the Ministry of Mines and Energy will be equipped for better service delivery as his first approach.
Speaking when he addressed staff during the first general staff meeting as Mines and Energy Minister, Paye said his assessment thus far proved that the significant role for which the Ministry was established has shrunk.
He emphasized that in his views, this has denied the country needed revenues to achieve development goals.
Pointing out specifics, Minister Paye said the lack of ensuring that mining contracts benefit local communities, and professional monitoring of agreements enshrined in Mineral Development Agreements (MDAs), is not serving the country well but rather prioritizing the interests of foreign businesses.
He assured that his team of Ministers will not relent on reviewing all mining contracts to bring them into full compliance with the Mineral and Mining Laws.
Minister Paye said his team understands the real issues and when the rest of the Ministers are confirmed by the Liberian Senate, the story will change and the public will be witnesses to the results.
Minister Paye emphasized that as one of the government’s revenue engines, will prevail on the budget process to get the required support to properly implement its functions.
“Government job is not about residency, but efficiency and effectiveness,” Minister Paye averred.
Minister Paye told his staff that his administration will explore avenues aimed at ensuring that professionals working at the Mines and Energy Ministry earned justly in line with their qualifications and competence.
Paye comes to the post of Minister of Mines and Energy as a Geologist and hopes are high that he will turn the corner in putting Liberia on par with regional counterparts in the mining and energy sectors.
