Namibia’s Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Modestus Amutse says the government will maintain its moratorium on new mining and petroleum licence applications while authorities review the performance of existing licence holders and assess whether previously issued rights are delivering benefits to the country.
The suspension on new applications for Petroleum Exploration Licences (PELs), Petroleum Reconnaissance Licences and Petroleum Production Licences was introduced following the closure of the previous licensing round on 31 October 2024.
Although the application window had initially been scheduled to reopen on 1 November 2024, the Ministry of Mines and Energy postponed the reopening and later extended the suspension indefinitely beyond 31 March 2025. As of February 2026, the licensing process remains closed to new submissions.
Amutse said the government’s immediate priority is to evaluate whether companies already holding exploration and production rights have fulfilled their work commitments before additional licences are issued.
“What we have to concentrate on is what the performance is of those having them. And how many do have and have not done anything on them? I think that is a starting point,” he told Namibia Mining & Energy.
“Because if you have issued licences for the purpose of performance and people are claiming that they want to perform but the moratorium won’t work, the question we must ask them is to what percentage did you perform on what you already have?”
The minister said the government intends to first establish how many licences have already been issued and determine the level of work undertaken by holders before deciding whether to reopen the licensing process.
This assessment will also evaluate the benefits generated from existing rights and determine whether further support or stronger compliance monitoring is required.
In the petroleum sector, while new licence applications remain suspended, the ministry continues to process extensions for existing exploration rights.
Petroleum Exploration Licence 93 has been extended until October 2026, while PELs 97 to 100 have been extended until September 2026. The approach allows exploration activity, particularly in the Orange Basin, to continue while limiting the allocation of new acreage.
Amutse said the moratorium also reflects broader government concerns about responsible resource management and the need to safeguard national interests over the long term.
“Management is about looking at what you are giving out and what you preserve for the future generation. It doesn’t mean that if something is resourceful, if something will contribute to our economy it must be exploited at once,” he said.
“I would believe that resources must be managed properly. There must be an element of preservation so that the future generation will find still resources in Namibia instead of depleting them at once.”
The minister added that the government also aims to strengthen local participation in the mining sector as part of future licensing considerations.
While acknowledging that mining projects are capital intensive, he said participation can take place through partnerships and consortia rather than individual operators, with capacity extending beyond financial resources alone.
The ministry’s controlled approach forms part of broader regulatory reviews under the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act, with future licensing decisions expected to consider licence performance, local content participation and wider economic benefits before the moratorium is lifted.
