Jamaica’s Mining Division moves to address gaps flagged in audit
Key Points(5)
- The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is moving to strengthen regulation and oversight of Jamaica’s mining and quarrying sector following a performance audit of the Mines and Geology Division (MGD) by the Auditor General’s Department.
- In a release on Sunday, the ministry said it is acting on seven recommendations arising from the audit, with corrective measures targeting weaknesses in licensing, inspections, enforcement, financial accountability and the monitoring of rehabilitation obligations.
- The MGD has submitted management responses to the Auditor General’s recommendations, with implementation being guided by agreed actions and timelines.
- According to the ministry, some measures are already under way, while others are scheduled for implementation within their respective deadlines.
- Among the changes being pursued is a tightening of the approval process for mining leases and quarry licences.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is moving to strengthen regulation and oversight of Jamaica’s mining and quarrying sector following a performance audit of the Mines and Geology Division (MGD) by the Auditor General’s Department.
In a release on Sunday, the ministry said it is acting on seven recommendations arising from the audit, with corrective measures targeting weaknesses in licensing, inspections, enforcement, financial accountability and the monitoring of rehabilitation obligations.
The MGD has submitted management responses to the Auditor General’s recommendations, with implementation being guided by agreed actions and timelines. According to the ministry, some measures are already under way, while others are scheduled for implementation within their respective deadlines.
Among the changes being pursued is a tightening of the approval process for mining leases and quarry licences. The division plans to strengthen pre-approval checks to ensure required documentation is consistently verified and on file before applications move forward.
The MGD is also working to introduce a documented, risk-based inspection system that would allow regulatory attention to be directed based on factors such as an operator’s compliance history and the environmental and social risks associated with its activities.
The changes come as oversight of Jamaica’s extractive industries remains important for ensuring compliance with the law and managing the environmental and financial obligations associated with mining and quarrying.
Stronger enforcement
The ministry said the division is also improving the systems used to record regulatory activities and enforcement actions.
This includes strengthening registers and compliance records, establishing clearer procedures for escalating breaches, and improving the monitoring of the tenure of licences and leases. The objective, the ministry said, is to support more consistent enforcement when operators fail to meet their obligations.
Financial accountability is another area being targeted.
The division is moving to strengthen the reconciliation and monitoring of royalties and quarry taxes, while steps have been initiated to engage relevant entities concerning outstanding obligations.
A financial recovery plan is also being developed to provide a more structured approach to identifying, following up on and recovering outstanding sums.
Rehabilitation obligations under review
The audit response also focuses on rehabilitation, an important component of mining and quarrying regulation.
The MGD is pursuing measures to improve the monitoring and documentation of rehabilitation requirements and strengthen the process for following up on outstanding rehabilitation matters.
The ministry said a structured approach is being developed to support the fulfilment of rehabilitation obligations and the appropriate treatment of related outstanding amounts.
Rehabilitation is intended to ensure that areas affected by mining and quarrying are appropriately addressed when operations end or when specific rehabilitation requirements arise.
The corrective programme also includes stronger coordination with other public authorities involved in the licensing process. The ministry said this is intended to improve the timeliness and documentation of required clearances and regulatory decisions.
The ministry stressed that the Auditor General’s recommendations carry different implementation deadlines.
As a result, it said the existence of outstanding actions should not automatically be interpreted as a failure to meet an agreed deadline.
“Progress will continue to be assessed against the established timelines,” the ministry said, while indicating that further administrative, regulatory and operational improvements would be pursued where necessary.
The ministry described the audit process as an important mechanism for strengthening accountability and improving the systems through which Jamaica’s mining and quarrying sector is administered.
Through the MGD, it said it will continue to monitor implementation of the agreed corrective measures and assess their effectiveness.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to regulating Jamaica’s mining and quarrying sector and ensuring that operators comply with applicable laws, regulations, and financial, environmental and rehabilitation obligations.
