By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
Residents in the five Chiefdoms where Rutile is being mined have expressed their dismay at Sierra Rutile Mining Company following what they described as the ‘influx’ of foreign companies and contractors to their communities without consulting them as authorities of the land.
In an open letter locals wrote to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company recently, they also expressed concern at the prioritization of foreigners as against Sierra Leoneans when it comes to employment opportunities.
According to people they were well aware of the tax concessions the government granted to the company towards the end of last year to enable them to stay in business which they applauded and accepted as a welcoming idea. They also believed the action by the government was to ensure Sierra Leoneans continue to access employment in the company as demanded in the local content policy.
They called on the Management of Sierra Rutile to know that their experiences with foreign contractors have not been good ones, ranging from Beowolf in the case of Rutile and PW Mining in the case of Bauxite which they said they don’t want a repeat.
They believe there are capable Sierra Leonean companies that can provide all needed services for the progress of Sierra Rutile and with the capacity to recruit expatriates should they need them.
The company was urged to present to them the duration of the contracts they already have with the current foreign contractors in their employ and to also prioritize Sierra Leonean employment as stated in the Local Content Policy Act.
They also suggested that the company take into consideration the government’s enacted laws and policies when it comes to employment and awarding of contracts. They ended by pledging their ‘unwavering’ support to the peace and prosperity of Sierra Rutile.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (13/03/23)
