Liberia: Bea Mountain owes $1.8 million in diesel taxes
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The Liberian Investigator
Mining company Bea Mountain is said to have taken 16.4 million gallons of diesel without paying the corresponding petroleum taxes, and owes Liberia $1.8 million, according to Senator Amara M. Konneh. The Senate committee examining the levies says 21 of 25 importers audited paid less than they owed; it has asked the finance minister to justify the company’s claimed exemption within 72 hours, The Liberian Investigator reports.
Bea Mountain Mining Corp., a mining company operating in Liberia, owes $1.8 million in taxes on diesel after importing 16.4 million gallons without paying petroleum levies, Senator Amara M. Konneh said on Tuesday, according to The Liberian Investigator. The amount represents 55% of the total arrears identified by a Senate committee.
The committee examined records from the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company and revenue figures from the Liberia Revenue Authority for October to December 2025 and January to June 2026. Of the 25 importers examined, 21 are said to have paid less than the amount due. They imported about 107 million gallons of fuel in total. Bea Mountain claims it has a customs exemption, according to Konneh.
The senator said the committee would ask the finance minister to provide the legal basis for this exemption within 72 hours. Its final report is expected to recommend a “no payment, no delivery” rule: the state oil company would release fuel only after the tax authority digitally confirmed payment.
Konneh also warned against using an exceptional $200 million in revenue to set the 2027 budget. According to his estimates, structural revenue for the 2026 financial year stands at $1.1 billion, compared with $1.3 billion announced with the supplementary budget. Maintaining spending at this level could, he warned, widen the structural deficit to $100 million to $150 million.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
