By Henry Kargbo
The Director General of the Sierra Leone Content Agency Fodeba Daboh on Tuesday 1st March 2023 at the Agency office told Journalist that the Sierra Leone Local Content agency plan to shut down operations of sixteen muti National companies or pay huge fines and even face jail term of failed to submit their local content plan.
Daboh stated that the companies that about to short down includes Leo Cem, Easy Solar, Hema Trading Company, Super Holdings ltd, Orange Sierra Leone ltd, Rainbow Paint and Chemicals, Capital Foods, Mantrac Sierra Leone ltd, Sierra Diamond, CSE, CRSG, OBT Shipping, Maesrk line Sierra Leone ltd, Bintumani Hotel, Atlantic Hotel and Sunbird saying that this companies are undermining the Incorporation of Sierra Leone local Content Agency.
He told journalist that companies are in flagrant violation of the Local Content act in ensuring that they provide their Local Content plan.
He went on to say that Sierra Leone Local Content Agency Act of 3rd March 2016 establishes the statutory requirement that operators submit a Sierra Leonean Content Plan to the Local Content Agency for approval, which describes how the company intends to satisfy the requirements of the Act and the performance targets that the operator will monitor and report against over time.
‘’Sierra Leonean Content Plan is the current and forecast of employment, procurement and capacity development opportunities for local workforce and Sierra Leonean businesses’’, he added.
He reveals that it identifies specific actions and strategies that an operating company will use to implement and to support local content requirement mandate and that all operators should submit their LC plan before operations.
He stated that as Regulators they have had several engagements with the said muti National Companies in terms of availing the Agency with their local Content plan which they have refused to do, adding that the agency have friendly investment climate but they also have the responsibility of ensuring that they adhere to the Agency’s act.
He furthered that Two Hundred Companies have submitted their own plan, adding defaulting sixteen companies will face penalties by paying huge fines or shutting down of operations and even face jail term, he added.
