Sierra Leone: The Sierra Leone Local Content Agency ( SLLCA) in Collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry has on Tuesday 13th May 2021, engaged stakeholders in the hotel, restaurant and other businesses to bridge the gap between the big and small businesses in the country, especially on market linkages.
The engagement which took place at the Ministry of Trade and Industry Conference Room, attracted members from the hotel, textile and furniture industries to dialogue on the said issue with the appropriate authorities.
Giving the purpose of the engagement, the Director General – Sierra Leone Local Content Agency, Fodeba Daboh said as a regulator they don’t want to create a vacuum between small businesses and multi-lateral businesses in the country, noting that there must be a link between the two, which can benefit the country.
He added that their top most objectives is to ensure Sierra Leone and Sierra Leonean businesses take ownership of the economy, but they are not seeing that at the moment.
The Director General said the Agency currently has over 300 local entrepreneurs in their data with different areas of interest but at the same time want to see them successful, that is why they are engaging them for dialogue, in order to achieve their rightful target.
He also highlighted the issues of standards and quality, which he said they cannot afford to compromise despite wanting local produce to be visible everywhere in the country “Our produce cannot reach international market without the required standard,” the Director said.
In his statement Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Reverend Ibrahim Jones said that government cannot do it alone, but with the support of the private sector in the country. That is why he said as a Government they are providing the sector with incentive and currently rolling out the “Munafa” fund for small businesses.
He said the combination of small business with multinational businesses in the country, can create jobs, and also stabilize the foreign exchange rate in the country.
He said as Government they are working very hard to address the issue of quality by organizing trainings for the appropriate persons. “Our economy is starting to get life” making reference to the Global Economic Freedom Ranking, where Sierra Leone moved from 168 to 150 in 2021.
According to the Country Lodge Hotel Manager, Edward Shallop, they were badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, but it did not affect their support for local content development in the country.
He said the water; vegetables, sea food and some of their juices are locally produced. The problem they tend to have something with local produce is the supplying power according to Shallop. “Our local content policy is very much on track.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Home Made Furniture, Kelfa Kargbo, said they started producing quality furniture of all types two years ago. He assured the gathering that in terms of quality and standards their products can compete with any other furniture in the world.
Other entrepreneurs also made meaningful contributions to the meeting.
MJB/14/04/2021