Shankerdas officials
By Crispina Cummings
The country’s environmental protection agency, EPA, has called on parliament to take action against G. Shankerdas & Sons, the largest plastic manufacturing company and beverage distillery in Sierra Leone, for “violating the country’s laws”.
Its deputy director, Syl Kamara, was recently addressing the parliamentary Committee on Lands and the Environment when he said that the Indian-run company was “in total violation" of the EPA laws of 2008 as amended.
He therefore urged MPs to do all they could within their means to ensure that such companies were made to be responsible by urging them to treat such governing and oversight bodies "with the seriousness they deserve".
An engineer of Shankerdas, known only as Eng. Bhusharm, said they were still working on the documents they received from EPA because the law did not exist when they started operations.
“Despite that our company has complied with the laws of the country since its establishment" he said, adding that that "means we have respect for the rules of the state”.
Meanwhile, the committee had summoned the company to answer to questions concerning their payment of license fees in light of the issues being raised by EPA as one of the companies owing them fees for the environmental impact assessment license.
The committee found out that in all the 73 years since G. Shankerdas & Sons had operated in the country they had no licenses legalising their activities, not even the EIA license which was enacted in 2008 and amended in 2010.
Committee chairman, Jusufu Mansaray, MP, recalled the "meaningful contributions" the company was making in the country but said that that notwithstanding the interest of the people and the environment should be paramount.
Another MP, Hassan Sesay said that he was very disappointed that a company like Shankerdas could be found wanting of violating the laws of the country. He noted that it was “shameful and unfortunate for a company that has been inexistence for 73 years” could continue to violate the laws that should be the guiding principles for their operations.
G. Shankerdas & Sons (SL) Limited was established in 1939 by the proprietor and founder Gagandas U. Mahboobani, an Indian National, who came to Sierra Leone early in the 20th century.
Amongst the newly established industrial activities that came into being was the Plastic Factory (1978), which today is the largest plastic manufacturing industry in Sierra Leone. During the period of 1978 to 1985, the bottling plant was expanded into distillery and blending of alcoholic beverages with the brand name “Pegapak” (such as gin, brandy, whisky, vodka, etc). As the expansion activities continued, other small-scale industries were developed such as candle manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, packaging of ointments and petroleum jelly, Stationary division, and Pulp division (such as sanitary pads and facial tissues).
(C) Politico 17/04/14
