Abu Bakarr Kargbo: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 11 September 2018:
Kissy Industry and Trading Limited is currently under construction, thereby leading the way to boosting the country’s manufacturing and export sector, according to report.
Owned and managed by a popular businessman, Jamal Shallop, construction work on the boiler, margarine manufacturing plants, storage tanks, administrative building, and warehouse is in an advanced stage as the contractors have assured that work will be completed by February next year, and production is expected to kick-start in March 2019.
A top government official that has seen the massive investment remarked that “Jamal Shallop is currently implementing a clarion call by President Julius Maada Bio’s New Direction Agenda, which is the diversification of the country’s economy by ensuring a vibrant private sector to serve as the driver for economic growth, income generation, employment and ultimately poverty reduction.
His current massive investment at the Kissy Community is assured of promoting competitive, fast-growing and liberal economy and put the country on track the export market so as to make meaningful gains to sustain the national economy.”
Shallop’s Kissy Industry and Trading Limited is currently embarking on a multi-million dollars investment, which when completed, will become a manufacturing industry that will produce soap products, butter, palm kernel oil, and other cosmetics for local consumption and export to neighbouring countries like Guinea and Liberia.
When completed, the factory will be one of the biggest in the country as it hopes to not only employ hundreds of Sierra Leoneans directly and indirectly but also contribute to boosting the country’s investment opportunity and ensure economic growth, hence confirming government’s reliance on the private sector to substantially assist in building the capacity and capability of Sierra Leoneans.
“This is the first project of its kind in Sierra Leone, Guinea, The Gambia, Liberia, and Guinea Bissau. It will be a long-lasting project that brings economic prosperity to Sierra Leone,” says Mohamed Dagher, General Manager/Project Coordinator, and added that the project is ahead of schedule as fifty percept work is been done already.
The Contractor, Breat Construction and Engineering Limited is currently partnering with some Indian Expatriates and local staff to do a simultaneous construction work on the refinery, boiler, filling station, administrative and other factory buildings etc.
Manjunath, an Indian Company Site Engineer assured that nine tanks of fifteen meters high each and with a capacity of eight thousand tons will soon be completed.
When completed, the factory will have various components, including soap manufacturing. It will manufacture the best soaps of international standards to meet various purposes like hotels, malaria soap, soap detergent, liquid soap, shampoo etc. The butter section will produce the margarine type of butter for domestic consumption and export, cooking butter for bread, cake etc.
The oil processing section will produce palm kernel nut oil of high quality for domestic and export purposes. The palm kernel residues will be used to process cosmetics.
Kissy Industry and Trading Limited is hoping to bring in the best production and processing machines from China and India, and Alfa Laval, which is the number one food processing equipment in the world.
Community people have highly acclaimed the investment, which they assure will be protected against all odds.
Koffi Davies said several companies have occupied the land for decades but have done nothing to develop it. He named Sierra Leone Consolidated Refinery Group, owned by Mohammed Bassem of Sierra Leone Fishing Company, who has failed to construct an oil refinery company as promised.
Kissy Industry and Trade Limited has effected a greater transformation in their lives as community people, most of whom have been gainfully employed. Other Community Members, Mohamed Lamin Bangura, and Foday Dumbuya praised the current development work, which they say will benefit them and generations yet unborn.
Chairlady of the Community, Sarah Mansaray said the project will not only create employment for youth and women in the community, rather it will also assist mostly women from other communities to be indirectly employed.
“Women will be coming here to buy oil and other products on a wholesale, while others will be supplying the company with raw materials to gain income,” she said.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Sarah Koroma and Musu Conteh, who are small-scale farmers in the community. They called on the government to support the project so as to enable it to boost employment facilities, hence development of the country’s economy.
It sounds good I hope it would not end to be white elephant project. H.E. means good for this country. Community people should not be conniving with the workers to steal the building materials. The construction should not be done in that substandard way.
This move is very great and encouraging. Nobody will build Salone for us. Let us take full responsibility for anything that is happening in the country. Please Sierra Leoneans, let us stop casting blame on our colonial masters whenever things go wrong. This will not help us nor motivate us to move the country forward.
We have brains and talented people to move the country forward, let us plant what we eat and implement industry that will create jobs for our young people. One of the economic infrastructures was destroyed during the rebel war (wellington industrial Estate). That is why the rate of unemployment is very high in the country.
Can somebody prove me right, as to whether former President Koroma commissioned an Economic Zone within the Koya Rural District before the election? I don’t know if President Bio is thinking about such project. That is a big problem with African Politicians – 80% of good Project left by their Predecessor will just go down the drain.
Setting up Cooking Oil and Milk business is not up to five millions dollars, but our millionaires and Billionaires are waiting for foreign investors, though they have the money to boost the country’s economy.
I duly congratulate the workers and especially the women who are making Sierra Leone stand out, by introducing wares necessary for development. Thanks to all for their work.
Greetings
Abu Jalloh