AS SLIEPA EMBARKS ON AFTERCARE SERVICES ITS CEO PRESENTS SIERRA AGRO-BASE INDUSTRY AND SERVICES (SL) LTD. TO THE PEOPLE OF BAI LARGO, KORI CHIEFDOM, MOYAMBA DISTRICT

AS SLIEPA EMBARKS ON AFTERCARE SERVICES ITS CEO PRESENTS SIERRA AGRO-BASE INDUSTRY AND SERVICES (SL) LTD. TO THE PEOPLE OF BAI LARGO, KORI CHIEFDOM, MOYAMBA DISTRICT.

On Friday 27th  May 2022, a team from the Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA) led by the CEO, held a fruitful meeting with the people of Bai Largo, Kori Chiefdom, Moyamba District, to present Sierra Agro-Base Industry and Services SL Ltd. A company that has built Cassava processing factory in Bo and will start producing in large quantities of Garri.

In her opening statement, Mrs Phebean Jaia, Investment Officer at SLIEPA, introduced the delegation and highlighted the institution’s mandates to the stakeholders. She encouraged the community people and investors to continue working with SLIEPA as it is the sole Agency that has the mandate to facilitates Investment and promote Export in the country.

Mr Victor Bangura, the Acting Director of Investment Promotion at SLIEPA, thanked the community for such a warm reception and encouraged them to believe in the Agency. He emphasised on the Agency’s commitment to making sure that investors are in the county to invest, while admonishing them to embrace the investors so that the project will be a win-win-win situation for all parties, the government, investors and the community people.

In his Statement, Dr. Adeyemi F. Rodney Sandi, Chairman of Sierra Agro-Base Industry and Services SL Ltd. Gave a brief overview of the project, he said the company already has its factory in Bo and 500 acres of land planted with cassava in Ngalu Bagbeh, Bo District. He went further and said, due to the demand of Garri from their clients the Company will extend it farm in Bai Largo, Moyamba District, and will lease 100 acres of land for two years to plant cassava, to be processed into gari. He called on the community people to own the project as it their own.

Mr. Rashid Conteh, Managing Director of Sierra Agro-Based Industry and Services (SL) Ltd. emphasised on the benefit of the project, which he said is to address food security and provide jobs for the youth. He admonished all to embrace the project as the company has already built its factory in Bo which will process over 100 bags of Garri a day. He further said that the company has an intention to build another factory in Bai Lago, if the community people are ready and willing to work with them to make the project a success, he concluded.

In his statement the Section Chief of Bai Largo and Paramount Chief Rep. Joseph Sam-king, thanked SLIEPA and Sierra Agro-Base Industry and Services (SL Ltd. for taken such a project to their community, while reaffirming his people’s willingness in making sure that the project is a success.

Retired Major Saidu, a stakeholder in Bai Lago, in his statement welcomed the news with a great hope and encouraged his people to own the project so that it can be a success for the community and the investors.

Also, Lamin Moseray, a family member representative for the landowners, assured SLIEPA and Sierra Agro-Base Industry and Services (SL) Ltd. of their willingness to provide the required land for the said purpose. He said his family is well pleased to be part of the development process.

In his statement, the CEO of SLIEPA Mr. Sheku Lexmond Koroma, encouraged the community people to embrace and own the project, as the investor is also a son of the soil who wants to create a positive impact to his country. He emphasised that the government is committed to protect it investors, while encouraging the investors to treat the chiefs with maximum respect as they are the custodians of the land. He further reiterated the Agency’s full support in making sure that the project is a success for both parties.

In another engagement, a team from SLIEPA made an Aftercare visit to Gold Tree in Daru, Kailahun District, Lizard Earth in Kenema and Timberland in Pujehun Districts respectively to get a first-hand information on the companies’, challenges and successes so far.

In her Statement, Mrs Abibatu Shyllon, Aftercare Manager SLIEPA, thanked the Companies for their warm reception, she went further to describe the visit as a scooping mission for the institution, which was geared towards getting first-hand information from investors relating to their Successes, Challenges, and what they expect from government through SLIEPA to do, to ease their operations.

Mohamed Kamara, Managing Director, Gold Tree in Daru, welcomed the delegation for taken up such steps in reaching out to them. He referred to the visit as timely and a very smart move by the Agency, while analysing the company’s successes over the years and the challenges which they are facing.

He further said that, Gold Tree is now a subsidiary of Planting Naturals and has planted over 3000 varieties of oil palm plantation, and is the second largest for oil palm in Sierra Leone after SCOFIN. He pleaded with SLIEPA to help the company facilitate their export, since the ministry has put a stop on export.

Also, Daniel Schooler, Managing Director of Lizard earth Company in Kenema, gave a brief over view of the company, which involved cultivating organic cocoa in producing Liquor and wants to further start producing local chocolate. He explained on the success as well as challenges they are facing.