Kasnafar sand seller gets authorisation as mining licence awaits approval
Timor-Leste’s mining regulator says Fernandes Jianling has sold 4,700 cubic metres of sand and is paying government fees.
Fernandes Jianling, Lda has permission to sell sand at the Kasnafar river in Timor-Leste, but approval of its mining licence remains pending, National Mining Authority (ANM) executive director David de Araújo said on 22 October 2026.
Araújo told Tatoli that ANM would issue the licence soon. The application was submitted on 28 March 2025, and a site assessment by ANM technicians found the company eligible to have its operating area recognised. Further documentation is still required for mining authorisation and licensing.
The clarification followed comments from Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Francisco da Costa Monteiro that mineral sales require licensing. The minister said he did not know whether this particular company held a licence.
Araújo described the business as a partnership between foreign and Timorese investors. He said mining law requires a Timorese company to hold the controlling 51 per cent interest, with foreign investors holding 49 per cent.
According to Araújo, the company has commercial registration with SERVE and an environmental licence from ANLA. Its sand activities are restricted to the area authorised by ANM.
He put sales so far at 4,700 cubic metres and said the company was fulfilling its government fee obligations. The charge is US$3 per cubic metre, based on sales volume. ANM monitors compliance, while licence assessments examine financial resources, technical capability, environmental risk management and supporting paperwork.
