By: Saidu Jalloh
Minister of Trade and Industry, Ibrahim Alpha Sesay, delivered a keynote address at a Local Content Workshop held on Tuesday, January 9th, 2024, at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown.
During his speech, Minister Sesay highlighted the crucial role of local content in driving industrialization. He emphasized the need to harness domestic resources across value chains to achieve higher levels of local content, increased capacity utilization, and a boost in manufactured exports.
The workshop, organized by Sierra Rutile Limited (SRL), drew a significant turnout, including the Director General of Sierra Leone Local Content Agency, Heads of various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as representatives from SRL, local suppliers, contractors, and service providers.
Minister Sesay underscored the Sierra Leone Local Content Agency’s commitment to promoting Sierra Leonean content development, strengthening the domestic private sector, and fostering an investment-friendly environment that supports local supply chains. He referenced the regulatory role of the 2016 Act in ensuring effective implementation of local content provisions.
The Minister urged companies, particularly those operating in specific sectors, to prioritize qualified local businesses. He reaffirmed the government’s dedication to encouraging mining companies like SRL to enhance the capacities of local businesses, ensuring the delivery of quality services and implementing fair and transparent procurement and employment policies.
Sierra Leone Local Content Agency’s Director General, Fodeba Daboh, commended SRL for hosting the workshop and expressed the agency’s readiness to provide necessary support. Daboh emphasized the competitiveness and value addition aspects of local content, encouraging local suppliers to meet service delivery obligations. He dispelled the notion that local content regulations are overly complex, rigid, or harsh, citing the 2016 Act as less restrictive compared to similar regulations in other African countries.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sierra Rutile Limited, Theuns de Bryun, affirmed the company’s commitment to collaboration, economic development, and empowering local companies. He stated that the success of the workshop aligns with the company’s vision for sustainable development and shared prosperity, emphasizing the importance of strong ties with local businesses.
In conclusion, the workshop was seen as an opportunity to enhance knowledge, capacity, and business networks, with a focus on fostering collaboration between multinational companies and local businesses in Sierra Leone.