Usu Boie raps development partners on Local Content in Sierra Leone
Minister of Trade and Industry, Alhaji Usman Boie Kamara, on Monday, October 14 at the Ministry’s conference room at Youyi Building, Freetown, addressed development partners and other stakeholders on the Local Content Policy. (Photo: Discussing the Local Content Policy)
He thanked the stakeholders for making the Local Content Policy sustainable; observing that over the years there has been some semblance of Local Content.
He allayed the fears of development partners that the Local Content Policy was not here to drive anybody away but for the country to benefit from it. He emphasized that if the Local Content Policy succeeded, the resources of the country would be evenly distributed.
He maintained that majority of the direct investment was going to South Africa instead of Sierra Leone, noting that as a Ministry they want to look at how to add value to products, train people, and recruit a consultant to work with the Ministry.
He said it was a pity that people come into the country and there is no record about them.
The Minister further stated that there has been an increase in the price of cement in the country, and also commended the Sierra Leone Brewery for using our sorghum to produce their products.
In her statement, Madam Susan from the World Bank stated that she is grateful to the Ministry, stressing that they will continue to support them. She noted that the private sector is a critical partner where a lot of coordination is required.
A representative from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stated that the Local Content Policy is a very serious issue.
He thanked Alhaji Usu Boie Kamara for the opportunity to be invited to work with them, adding that they will continue to support them.
On his part, the representative from the National Minerals Agency said it was alarming to note that the rule of the Local Content was not being adhered to. He called on the Ministry to spend some resources to train local people, while the representative from the Chamber of Commerce said they will continue to work with the Ministry to see that the Policy succeeds.
As for the DFiD representative, he observed that the local content was a very crucial component of any country’s operations since it has many opportunities to make things right.
In his remarks, SLIEPA representative, Mr. Beckley, disclosed that the export of products was now on the rise. He further disclosed that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security has put strategies in place to develop the Local Content Policy and make it bring prosperity to this country.
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Charles
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Mr Minister it is because of South Africa’s relative educated workforce and higher skilled personnel. Secondly strict law and order in business regulations. Establish a good business law enforcement in liquidation and asset valuation. most importantly we need attention to repealing the anachronistic land law that consigns one section of the country to unregulated codifying of land and that section happens to hold the much needed land for development growth.
18th October 2013Investors are risk averse to the extent of studying local press that peddles common gossips – advocate mature and grown up reporting not a load of salacious nonsense in many of the papers.