BY JOSEPH MOMOH | DAILY SCOPE REPORTER
The Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and the National Minerals Agency have said JM Mining lost its chance at a Large-Scale Mining Licence after failing to accept a conditional offer and pay required fees, contrary to claims that Government revoked an existing licence.
In a statement this week, the two institutions said Section 108(5) of the Mines and Minerals Development Act is clear: a Large-Scale Mining Licence can only be issued after an applicant accepts the offer in writing and settles all statutory payments. According to the Ministry and NMA, JM Mining met neither condition within the period stipulated by law, meaning no licence was ever validly issued.
The statement outlined what officials described as sustained government support for the company’s proposed investment. JM Mining first wrote to the Minister of Mines on December 17, 2023, following the suspension of its exploration activities by the Environment Protection Agency. A meeting between the Minister and the company’s Chief Executive Officer followed on April 16, 2024. On May 20, 2024, the Minister wrote to the Ministry of Environment seeking intervention to resolve the dispute, with copies sent to EPA, the Paramount Chief of Nongowa Chiefdom, and instructions to NMA to provide technical guidance throughout the licensing process.
The Minerals Advisory Board considered the application on December 18, 2024, and recommended approval. JM Mining was notified of the conditional approval on January 23, 2025, and under the law was required to accept within 30 days and pay the applicable fees before a licence could be issued.
To give the company additional time to secure financing, NMA delayed issuing the payment demand for roughly six months. Orders to Pay were eventually served 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. That August 23 deadline passed without payment. The National Revenue Authority later issued a formal demand on October 28, 2025, after which the company sought an extension to the end of December 2025. Government said that self-imposed deadline was also not met.
Correspondence cited by the authorities shows JM Mining acknowledging the default. In an October 31, 2025 letter to the Commissioner-General of NRA, the CEO admitted the company was overdue on the annual licence and monitoring fees. A January 15, 2026 letter to the Director of Mines repeated the admission, stating the fees had been outstanding since August 24, 2025. On January 29, 2026, the CEO again requested a new Order to Pay, a move officials said amounted to an acknowledgment that the original order had not been honored.
On January 30, 2026, the Minister formally confirmed that the conditional offer had lapsed and the application process was terminated. The Ministry and NMA said the company had 372 days from conditional approval and 190 days from the issuance of payment orders to complete requirements, but as of the date of the statement, the US$1.1 million had not been paid.
The institutions rejected suggestions that JM Mining was denied adequate time to comply, noting that while the law provides for 30 days, the company was given more than 12 months. They also dismissed claims that the decision was arbitrary, saying the Minerals Advisory Board reviewed the matter before the Minister made the final determination. The company was informed in writing of the process for presenting its case and later received formal notification that its file had been closed.
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