<< Back             Poser >> Bong County: Rep. Cole raises alarm over illegal mining Gbarnga, May 8, 2025 — Bong County District #3 Representative J. Marvin Cole has raised fresh concerns over illegal mining activities in Jackson Village, Gbarmue Community, calling on national authorities to take immediate action. In a formal complaint submitted to Mines and Energy Minister Wilmot Paye on March 28, 2025, Rep. Cole warned that unauthorized mining operations are exploiting the area’s rich mineral resources while depriving both the local community and the nation of critical revenue. “These miners are depriving our community and the Republic of Liberia of its just revenue,” Rep. Cole stated in his letter. “These revenues could have been serious contributing factors to our already broken economy.” The embattled chairman of the House Committee on Rules, Order and Administration also underscored the broader impacts of illegal mining, cautioning that unchecked activities threaten local development, degrade the environment, and undermine the government’s efforts to rebuild Liberia’s struggling economy. “The continued allowance of such unauthorized activities not only undermines community development but also hampers our collective national agenda to rebuild the economy,” he emphasized. The Gbarnga Mining District, particularly the Jackson Village area, is known for its abundant mineral deposits. However, it has long struggled with the challenges of illegal and unregulated mining. Residents and community leaders have frequently voiced concerns about environmental damage, the erosion of livelihoods, and the lack of tangible benefits from the mining boom. Rep. Cole’s latest action reflects mounting frustration among Bong County leaders over what they see as weak enforcement by national authorities in rural mining zones. His call for swift intervention has been welcomed by local stakeholders, who hope it will prompt decisive action from the Ministry of Mines and Energy. As of press time, the Ministry has yet to publicly respond to Rep. Cole’s complaint or outline specific steps to address the situation in Jackson Village. The New Dawn will continue to monitor developments in this unfolding story. Photo of New Dawn The New Dawn Liberia	EU approves 150-billion-euro loan scheme to rearm EU countries on Tuesday formally approved a new 150-billion-euro loan programme to help rearm in the face of Russia and worries over US reliability, according to the Polish presidency of the bloc. The borrowing programme is part of a package of measures including loosening budget rules that Brussels says could potentially unlock 800 billion euros of defence Adesina: How I Raised AfDB’s Capital from $93bn to $325bn Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Nume Ekeghe in Abidjan President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, who is stepping down from the position after a decade of NGX Market Capitalisation Crosses N70trn Mark on Demand for Airtel, Others  Kayode Tokede The market capitalisation of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), yesterday crossed the N70 trillion mark, over investors demand for Airtel Africa Plc, and 35 others stocks.&#160; Airtel Court Empowers Employees to Seek Redress for Non-Remittance of Their Pension Contributions Ebere Nwoji Employers who fail to remit or under-remit pension contributions of their employees &#160;are strictly liable under Nigerian law, and face limited legal defenses when such matters are How 30 NGX Listed Companies Paid FIRS, Others N919.5bn Tax in Q1 Kayode Tokede It has emerged that a total of 30 companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) paid the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and other revenue agencies Ghana’s economic reset hinges on stronger Public-Private Partnership – President President John Dramani Mahama Monday underscored the need for deeper collaboration between the public and private sectors to drive Ghana’s economic recovery and long-term transformation.The post Ghana’s economic reset hinges on stronger Public-Private Partnership – President appeared first on Ghana Business