MINING MESS

THREE mining companies owed the Government penalties to the tune of US$13.7 million (approximately $2.2 billion) at the end of 2025 after they failed to rehabilitate 264.14 hectares of mined-out land as required by law.

At the same time, the March 2026 Schedule of the Mines and Geology Division (MGD) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries identified US$828,000 in royalty principal and US$2.58 million in interest and penalties outstanding from two operators.

These are among the key findings of a performance audit by the Auditor General’s Department (AGD) dated July 2026, of the licensing, monitoring and enforcement actions of the MGD.