By Sulaiman Jalloh
On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, Sierra Leone’s Parliament held a joint emergency hearing through its Committees on Trade, Finance, and Transparency to tackle escalating concerns over cement imports, the session, convened in Freetown, drew key stakeholders, including major importers Macem and LEOCEM, alongside officials from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, to address a pressing crisis affecting the nation’s construction sector.
Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay, chairperson of the Trade committee, opened the proceedings with a clear message: the hearing aimed not to intimidate but to resolve the cement shortage and price surge plaguing the country, as parliamentarians, our duty is to safeguard importers’ investments while protecting the rights of our people, she affirmed, underscoring the hearing’s role in balancing business and public interests.
Hon. Ambrose Maada Lebee, Chairperson of the Transparency Committee, echoed these concerns, spotlighting a sharp cement price hike over the past three weeks, with Sierra Leoneans heavily reliant on cement for housing and infrastructure, he called the situation urgent, lebee questioned the opacity of certain import agreements, vowing his committee would probe deeper. He urged the Ministry of Trade to bolster Leocem’s role in fostering market competition, emphasizing the value of local content.
Citing Section 93 of the 1991 Sierra Leone constitution, Hon. Sesay clarified that parliamentary committees are empowered to summon ministries, departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for such inquiries. She reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to tackling the cement industry’s challenges head-on.
The hearing exposed a range of issues, importers highlighted soaring transportation costs, restricted access to affordable cement, and inflation’s toll on pricing, all complicating supply and demand dynamics. Parliamentarians countered with demands for greater accountability and transparency in the distribution chain, pressing for solutions that prioritize citizens’ needs.
Hon. Latif contributed to the dialogue, advocating for robust market competition to protect both consumers and local businesses. He stressed the need for a sustainable framework that prevents pricing from becoming an insurmountable barrier to affordable cement access.
The session concluded with Parliament pledging vigilant oversight and readiness to act if needed. The committees vowed to revisit these concerns in future meetings, aiming to stabilize the market and ensure fair practices prevail. For now, the hearing marks a critical step toward addressing a crisis that threatens Sierra Leone’s economic and social fabric.