Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and the National Minerals Agency (NMA) say JM Mining Kenema (SL) Limited never obtained a Large-Scale Mining Licence, stating that the company’s application expired after it failed to satisfy statutory requirements.

In a joint statement issued Wednesday, 5 August 2026, the Ministry and the NMA said reports claiming the Government withdrew JM Mining’s mining licence are inaccurate because no licence was ever granted. According to the authorities, the company only received a conditional offer in January 2025, which required written acceptance and payment of US$1.1 million in statutory licence and monitoring fees before a licence could be issued.

The Government said JM Mining failed to complete both requirements despite receiving several extensions and more than a year to settle its financial obligations. As a result, officials said the conditional offer lapsed and the application file was closed.

“This is the single most important point. What JM Mining received in January 2025 was an approval to grant a licence—a conditional offer,” the statement noted.

Related News

The Ministry and the NMA said Section 108(5) of the Mines and Minerals Development Act permits the issuance of a Large-Scale Mining Licence only after an applicant formally accepts the offer in writing and pays all prescribed fees. According to the statement, JM Mining did neither within the period required by law, meaning there was no valid licence for the Government to revoke.

The statement also detailed what it described as extensive Government support for the company’s proposed mining investment.

According to the Ministry and the NMA, JM Mining first wrote to the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources on Dec. 17, 2023, after the Environment Protection Agency halted its exploration activities.

The Minister later met with the company’s chief executive officer on April 16, 2024, to discuss the matter and, on May 20, 2024, wrote to the Minister of Environment seeking intervention to help resolve the dispute and allow the company to continue its activities.

The correspondence was copied to the Ministry of Environment, the Environment Protection Agency, and the Paramount Chief of Nongowa Chiefdom. The National Minerals Agency was also instructed to provide technical guidance and support throughout the licensing process.

The statement said the Minerals Advisory Board reviewed JM Mining’s application on Dec. 18, 2024, and recommended approval.

The company was formally notified of the conditional licence approval on Jan. 23, 2025. Under the law, it was required to accept the offer within 30 days and pay the applicable statutory fees before a licence could be issued.

According to the Government, the National Minerals Agency delayed issuing the payment demand for approximately six months to allow the company additional time to secure financing.

Orders to Pay were eventually issued on July 24, 2025, directing JM Mining to pay US$1 million in licence fees and US$100,000 in monitoring fees within 30 days.

The Government said the Aug. 23, 2025, payment deadline passed without payment. It added that the National Revenue Authority later issued a formal payment demand on Oct. 28, 2025, after which JM Mining requested an extension until the end of December 2025.

Officials said the company also failed to meet its self-requested Dec. 31, 2025, deadline.

On Jan. 29, 2026, JM Mining requested a new Order to Pay. According to the statement, that request acknowledged that the original payment order had not been honoured.

The Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources formally confirmed on Jan. 30, 2026, that the conditional licence offer had lapsed and was rescinded, ending the application process.

The Ministry and the NMA said JM Mining had 372 days from the approval of the conditional offer and 190 days from the issuance of the payment orders to complete the process. As of the date of the statement, the required US$1.1 million remained unpaid.

The authorities also cited correspondence that they said showed the company acknowledged its default.

According to the statement, JM Mining’s chief executive officer admitted in a letter dated Oct. 31, 2025, to the Commissioner-General of the National Revenue Authority that the company was overdue in paying the annual Large-Scale Mining Licence fee and the related monitoring fee.

The Government said the company made a similar admission in a Jan. 15, 2026, letter to the Director of Mines, stating it had been overdue on the licence fees since Aug. 24, 2025. Officials added that the chief executive officer again requested a new Order to Pay in a Jan. 29, 2026, letter.

The Ministry and the NMA rejected claims that JM Mining was denied adequate time to comply, noting that although the law allows only 30 days, the company was given more than 12 months to fulfil the requirements.

The Government also dismissed suggestions that the company remained in good standing, maintaining that the statutory fees were never paid and that JM Mining acknowledged its default in writing on three separate occasions.

Responding to allegations that the decision was arbitrary, the Ministry and the NMA said the Minerals Advisory Board reviewed the matter before the Minister made the final determination. The company was also informed in writing of the process for presenting its case and later received a formal letter explaining why the application file had been closed.

The Government further denied claims that it was hostile to foreign investment, saying the Minister personally intervened in the company’s dispute with the Environment Protection Agency, met with its chief executive officer, and instructed the National Minerals Agency to assist the company during the application process.

The Ministry and the NMA reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to attracting responsible investment into the mining sector while emphasising that all companies must comply with the same legal and financial obligations.

According to the statement, exempting one company from statutory requirements would be unfair to mining operators that have complied with the law.

“The mineral resources of Sierra Leone belong to the people of Sierra Leone. They will be entrusted to those who meet their obligations under the law,” the statement concluded.

The Ministry and the National Minerals Agency said every claim contained in the clarification is supported by official correspondence and records, adding that a fully referenced chronology of the matter is available.