In a bid to complement President Koroma’s Agenda for Change, one of the leading private concession operators in Africa, Bollore Africa Logistics, has invested over thirty million United States Dollars into the Freetown Container Terminal.
It could be recalled that the terminal was handed over to the company less than eighteen months ago.
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| The Managing Director of Bollore explaining their investments and operations |
In collaboration with the National Commission for Privatization (NCP), and the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, Bollore on Tuesday 3rd July 2012 inaugurated two Mobile Port Cranes at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Freetown.
The ceremony attracted several important personalities from the business and private sectors, the media, members of the diplomatic and consular corps, government parastatals and ministries, parliamentarians and other well wishers.
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| Deputy Minister of Transport and Aviation commending Bollore for taking the lead in private sector development |
Chairman of NCP, Mr. Abu Bangura, said the existence of the private sector in Sierra Leone will lead to scoring several developmental goals including economic growth. He said privatizing the container terminal was no mistake by government, adding that within a very short while, Bollore has transformed the terminal into a modern terminal with international standards.
According to Mr. Bangura, since operations of port activities commenced in Sierra Leone, there was never in existence a mobile crane facility. The new development, he went on, will not only benefit the Sierra Leone Port Authority but would also let the authority become a “landlord” that will be receiving concession fees and rental income, with the responsibility of controlling and monitoring the activities of all private operators in the port.
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| Labour Minister advising the workers |
The NCP Chairman noted that, privatization of certain entities, especially container terminals, has become a global reform process that has recorded lots of successes in countries like Nigeria, Ghana and other parts of the world.
Managing Director of Bollore Africa Logistics, Mr. Eric Melet said, his company is ready to invest more into the terminal, adding that over thirty million US Dollars has so far been invested on the terminal since it was handed over to Bollore.
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| The two giant cranes at the terminal. |
He further disclosed that, the two mobile cranes are expected to triple the productivity of the terminal and will also lead to modernization of the port. He revealed further that, numerous plans including the construction of a computerized access gate, staff building, installation of independent power outlet for refrigerated containers, and the reconstruction of the terminal’s drainage are also part of the infrastructural development listed for the improvement of the terminal.
According to Mr. Melet, Bollore is among the biggest private employers in Africa, with over two hundred and fifty employees in Sierra Leone and twenty-three thousand across Africa. He said they are currently operating in fifty-five countries across the world.
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| Journalists at the ceremony |
Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Mr. Hindolo Trye, advised Bollore workers to be in compliance with the labour laws and further assured them of employment protection from his ministry.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Aviation, Mr. Osmond Hanciles said it was a wise decision by government to hand over the terminal to a private sector. This, he went on, was to create room for more improvement and productivity. According to him, his government’s dream is to ensure that the terminal becomes a landlord port and also be in line with the worldwide trend in the shipping industry.
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| Stakeholders conducting an inspection tour at the terminal |
Bollore, he furthered, is in the right direction of transforming the port from a service to a landlord port, especially in keeping with the fourth generation enunciated by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The Deputy Minister said it was disappointing to see other African countries such as Ghana been positioned far above Sierra Leone, despite the latter’s natural harbour. He noted that, if Bollore continues to develop the terminal, there will be a positive impact on the national economy and that this will bring the port into competition with other ports across the world.
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| The container equipment on display |
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| Dignitaries at the high table |
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Newspaper in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
