By: James Kamara-Manneh
The recent ban placed on timber logging and export has affected the private industries, the economy as a whole and those dealing in the timber trade.
To that end, the Chinese business tycoon of Lv Yuan Wood and Furniture investment located in Makoloh off Songo Highway in the outskirts of the capital, Madam Sunny Yong has called on the government to give special concessions to wooden factories to continue operations.
She emphasized that such a ban will take long (5months) before it could be lifted as she considers that to be a huge loss to her factory and other businesses.
With such a ban in place, she has asked some staff to stop operations and go home until God knows when the injunction will be lifted. She said she reluctantly and temporarily parted ways with those staff because business has stalled.
She was realistic that there is no way she can get money to take care of their monthly wages and other expenses.
Another request is that the government should allocate special clearance or pass to vehicles transporting timbers within the country to avoid delivery delays.
She further made a clarion call to President Bio to ask all government ministries and other institutions to patronize her furniture which is made by Sierra Leoneans with many years guarantee and stated that whatever is generated goes back into the consolidated funds as tax.
This she said will improve the state of the economy in making a mark in the international market space.
Madam Yong pleads that the ban has affected her operation and with 90% Sierra Leonean staff, she is constrained to maintain them at a time when nothing much is being done and asked that the ban be lifted for the growth of the newly born factory.
She adds that she is not above the law and a respecter of law, but thinks that the government should have in mind investors who are trying to propagate the idea of the New direction government in the area of foreign investment and the creation of employment.
She said she decided to bring such facilities to the Songo people and their environs to help them in their socio-economic life and to create jobs opportunities for the youths.
She further said after surveying other parts of the country Songo is the fittest place for such a factory for its peaceful nature, and that all that she promised the community has been fulfilled in terms of social responsibility such as building schools, donating solar lights to various police posts, extending gestures to the needy and many more.
Madam Sunny Yong said she has been in the country for more than a decade and that her staying is to impact people with her knowledge.
She said Sierra Leone requires factories to help with unemployment issues and that LV Yuan Wood factory is here to help young people build their careers, and learn more skills that will aid them to be self-sufficient.
Madam Yong said the factory is aiming to hit the market with first-class furniture of all sorts which will be affordable to many people.
She said they are not just exporting goods to China and Russia but also developing Sierra Leone with a new face of wooden products that will boost the economy of the country.
She added that in the area of deforestation, they are above waters noting that as one tree is cut down, three other trees are planted.
She called on everyone to support the project by patronizing their product as a form of giving back to the nation.
She informed A-Z that she is not only focusing on timber or wooden furniture but she is also engaged in the agricultural sector.
From the tour conducted she said after conducting soil sampling in China she has decided to make use of the soil by planting various internationally recognized flowers as Sierra Leone presently lacks them. Madam Yong also said in supporting the food sector she has succeeded in growing various crops including different types of corn- yellow-red, black and sweet white corn.
LV YUAN Wood and Furniture (SL Company) Limited started its project on January 11, 2021, and was officially put into production on May 15 2021.
The factory is, covering an area of 220,000 square meters (60 acres of Land) and is divided into four areas including workshops, warehouses, solar energy, exhibition halls, grinding and sawing rooms, generator rooms and staff dormitories.
