Image: The EITI / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Civil society group Integrity Watch Liberia has engaged AOKO Tax and Strategy Consultants to assess whether ArcelorMittal Liberia and Bea Mountain Mining Corporation are meeting their mineral development agreement obligations.
Integrity Watch Liberia (IWL), a civil society organisation that monitors transparency in the extractive industries, has commissioned an independent review of the mineral development agreements (MDAs) of ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) and Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC), the Liberian Observer reported on 16 September 2026. IWL has engaged AOKO Tax and Strategy Consultants to carry out the assessment.
Scope of the review
According to the report, the assessment covers four areas: fiscal integrity and economic benefits, production verification and revenue assurance, environmental compliance, and community development performance. The consultants will analyse the MDAs, company financial reports, production data, Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) records and government documents. They will also interview government institutions and company representatives, consult affected communities and visit mine sites.
IWL’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Eliza Attu, said the assessment will determine “whether the two mining companies are meeting their contractual obligations” and whether the government is receiving the benefits it expected.
Context
AML is Liberia’s largest iron ore producer, operating under an MDA first signed in 2006, and its concession terms have been the subject of legislative attention this year. The Observer has separately reported on a June 2026 request by Nimba County lawmaker Ernest M. Manseay for ministries to appear before the House of Representatives over infrastructure commitments he said were outstanding under the AML agreement. Bea Mountain operates gold mining in western Liberia.
Why it matters
MDAs in Liberia are ratified by the Legislature and have the force of law, so they typically contain stabilisation clauses, fiscal terms and community obligations that are difficult to vary unilaterally. A civil society review does not itself have legal effect, but findings on under-reported production, royalty calculation or unmet community development fund payments can prompt audits by the Liberia Revenue Authority, legislative hearings, or renegotiation demands.
For the companies and their lenders, the review is a reminder that performance against MDA obligations is being monitored by independent parties using public data, including LEITI reconciliations. Operators should ensure that their records on production volumes, pricing, royalties and social commitments can withstand external scrutiny, and that community and environmental undertakings are documented. Investors assessing Liberian mining assets may treat the outcome as an indicator of how contract compliance risk is likely to be raised in the political arena.
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