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Assistant Minister for Mines at the Lands & Mines Ministry, Mr.
James Konuwa has revealed that Liberia has a "proven reserve" of
over 4 billion tons of iron ore, representing about 35-59% of
the total deposit.
He did not give indications in the areas of concentration.
However, he disclosed that the country has "abundance of mineral
resources such as gold, diamond, phosphorous among others.
It is not the first time that Liberia's mineral abundance has
been reported, but nothing tangible has been done by past
governments to utilize the diamond industry which is being
bragged about thus far.
He made the disclosure at the D. Twe High School in New Kru Town
when he served as special guest during installation program of
the school's student government.
"I want to briefly inform you of the mineral potential of
Liberia. Liberia is endowed with minerals, topical forests,
abundant arable land and water resources," he said.
Speaking on the topic, "The Youth Influence in Liberia Politics"
he noted that over the decade of 1979 -1989, the traditional
sector in the country accounted for about 18% of GDP, adding
that prior to the civil conflict, the monetized sector was
dominated by the production of iron ore, rubber and logs.
For several years, prior to 1979, according to him, Liberia was
the second largest producer of iron ore in Africa.
In another development, Minister Konuwa called on Liberian youth
"to fully participate in the forthcoming elections to elect a
president and a reputable legislature who will bring Liberia
back to glory from the aches of the civil conflict." Meanwhile,
the government of Liberia through the Ministry of Lands, Mines
and Energy has taken several steps to comply with UN Security
Council demands to lift sanctions on Liberian rough diamonds.
In order to comply with the Kimberly Certification Process, the
Ministry on Friday, March 4, 2005 completed trainers' workshop
for 123 regional coordinators, mining agents, Mineral inspectors
and patrolmen at the Liberia Cartographic Service in Fiamah,
Sinkor.
According to a release, the Kimberly Certification Process
Scheme requires participating countries to enact legislations
that would clearly define procedures and steps that indicate
transparency in the production, sales and exportation,
importation and transit of rough diamonds.
The ten-day workshop is the third workshop conducted by the
Ministry for its field personnel.
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