By Sulaiman Jalloh
Transport Minister in Parliament
Parliament has, during its 58th plenary sitting recently, unanimously approved Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (IIP), a dry port concession.
The Arise IIP agreement was tabled before Parliament on Monday June 25, 2024.
The dry port concession will increase job opportunities for young people, thereby complementing government’s effort to achieving the 500,000 jobs it promised in the Big Five Game Changer Manifesto.
Reading the agreement, the Minister of Transport and Aviation, Amb. Alhaji Fanday Turay Esq. said the construction of the dry port will attract foreign investors into the country and also increase job opportunities for young people. According to him, the said agreement will see lots of economic benefits, and government stands to benefit ten percent (10%) of profit generated from the dry port.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Aviation, Hon. Ambrose Maada Lebby stated that the agreement is a manifesto put together in order to intensify the country’s development, adding that it has four phases. He further disclosed that phase one will see US$25 Million invested in the construction and equipping the dry port that will include 15Megawatt power plant and administrative building which will be completed in the first two years of the agreement; phase two, Hon. Lebby went on, will see US$15 million allocated for a river port including the construction of the Mabang Bridge and phase three, he noted, will see an additional US$9 million used for the expansion of the dry port. According to Hon. Lebby phase four will be for general upgrade which be in the tune of US$6 million. According to the lawmaker, after construction of the dry port government is expected to get a total loyalty of about seventy-five million United States Dollars and it will enhance the capacity of the port and allow more vessels to come to Freetown. He also noted that it will also decongest the Western Area and increase connectivity from the sea port and dry land, adding it will also reduce transportation cost for the delivery of goods and services.
Making his submission, Chief Weep of the opposition, All Peoples Congress (APC) in Parliament, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara expressed concerns about the security of the dry port, adding that in signing agreements, government should be looking at loyalties. According to Hon. AKK, as he is fondly called, the 10% loyalty is too small, adding that the country’s land should be able to supports its citizens economically and that the agreement should not discourage other competitors.
Chairperson for the Committee on Labour and Employment, Hon. Rebecca Yei Kamara of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) representing the people of Kono District, said that sometimes agreements are hard to review after being passed, stressing that she felts certified because more youths will be employed which resonates with one of the government’s ‘Big Five Game Changers’ of creating 500,000 jobs.
On his part, Deputy Leader of opposition in Parliament, Hon. Daiel Koroma questioned how much the country stands to benefit, stressing that the country has all the potentials to make every citizen rich yet people are poor. He however noted that the agreement will help government to generate more revenues.
Deputy Leader of Government Business, Hon. Bashiru Sidikie said whatever is done in Parliament is for the people of the country and urged committee members to provide oversight after the agreement is passed.
Meanwhile, it goes without saying that ARISE IIP is leading a groundbreaking transformation of the Sierra Leone Industrial Zone (SIZ) in Koya Chiefdom, Port Loko District, Northwest of the country. This monumental infrastructural development project, initiated in May last year, signifies a substantial leap forward in realising President Julius Maada Bio’s vision for Sierra Leone’s industrialisation.
The project is a pioneering Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement between ARISE and the Government of Sierra Leone, officially launched by President Bio on April 26, 2023.
The project promises to inject a significant boost into Sierra Leone’s economy by generating over five thousand jobs and facilitating the development of a world-class industrial ecosystem. This investment will integrate the Rail and Ports corridor, thereby unlocking Sierra Leone’s industrial potential.
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on wednesday, July 10th, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
