The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) as it is known was established on December 17, 2011 as the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE) with a primary focus of harmonizing policy and management in the Natural resources-based sectors. However, following the appointment of the new Government in May 2015, the institutional structure of the MNRE changed and it became a Department of Natural Resources and Environment under the purview of the Ministry of Presidency. A second change occurred on January 18, 2016 which saw the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment transformed to into the Ministry of Natural Resources.