John Sisay, Rutile CEO
Chief executive officer of Sierra Rutile says although he feels humbled that his company now leads in the implementation of the Local Content Policy in the mining sector, challenges still remain.
Speaking after receiving the award from the Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce, John Sisay said: “instead of seeing initiatives such as the local content policy as a threat, employers must seize the opportunity it offers to develop a national skills base which meets the needs of our country and its economy”.
The Chamber says the award was for “ensuring that the brightest and the best achieve their full potential; contributing towards the development of the country’s technical and managerial pool; and reducing reliance on expatriate knowledge and skills”.
Sisay admits that the lack of suitably qualified and skilled people drawas back the development of Sierra Leone and its businesses, adding that he is not oblivious of the uphill task and constraints that lie ahead which he says considers as an opportunity to develop a national skills base which meets the needs of the country’s economy.
“Instead of seeing initiatives such as the Local Content Policy as a threat, employers must seize the opportunity it offers to develop a national skills base which meets the needs of our country and its economy”, Sisay adds.
Some 2,250 people are currently employed by Sierra Rutile either directly or through their contractors with plans, the company says, to add some 1,600 more through its subsidiary.
95% of the employees at Rutile are Sierra Leoneans.
According to the draft Local Content Policy “despite the increase in investment flows, the domestic private sector has not been integrated with the new investments.” The policy, an integral regulatory requirement of the Mines and Minerals Act 2009, calls for the skills transfer to, and career development of Sierra Leone nationals.
Sierra Rutile has therefore been touted as the implemental policy pioneer in the mining sector.
To that end the company says “42 high potential Sierra Leone nationals are being developed as the company’s future managers and top technicians". Over US$ 300,000 was spent on staff training in 2013, while 480 employees participated in in-country training in 2013 and 110 took part in external training, it says.
The Rutile CEO says “key to the success of Sierra Rutile’s Localisation Plan is its new Performance Management System, which provides managers with a structured and impartial method of assessing employees against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to production, health and safety, development and company values amongst others”.
Sierra Rutile started operations 47 years ago. Revived after the war ravaged its investment and stalled its operations for the most part of the war period, the company says it experienced zero lost-time injuries especially in 2013. “120,349 tonnes of rutile was produced in 2013, a 27% increase on 2012 production. $58 million (Le two hundred and fifty billion, ninety-six million) of 2012 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was spent on upgrading and improving Sierra Rutile’s plant, property and equipment”.
But there have been criticisms of Rutile's operations recently by the local Member of Parliament, Stile Jengo. He told Politico that the company had failed to meet "basic" corporate social responsibilities and accused it of neglecting the community in which the mine is situated. He said the place lacked clean drinking water, electricity and even a health centre.
The MP alleged that as a member of the mines and labour committees in parliament, Rutile workers were the least paid in the country, adding that there was not a single native of Moyamba district holding a managerial position at the company. Allegations the company has flatly denied.
(C) Politico 04/03/14
