By Mabinty M. Kamara
Marampa and Maforki Chiefdoms in Port Loko District, North-Western region of Sierra Leone last weekend received the sum of 38 Billion Leones as payment for the Community Development Agreement Fund (CDA) by Marampa Mines Limited.
The two Chiefdoms are the operational sites for the Marampa Mines Limited a company that is jointly owned by Gerald Group and the Government of Sierra Leone.
Speaking at the event on the 29th of April this year in an open field in Lunsar, the Chief Executive Officer of Marampa Mines Limited Craig Deen said that the day will go down in the history of the two chiefdoms as 38 billion Leones will go to the communities as direct payment.
He said it is the largest ever CDA payment by a mining company, noting that they will do more.
"We don't want these mines to close again and this can only happen when we get support from the people.
We have to mine in a sustainable manner so that any time we mine some amount will go towards community development”, he said.
The CEO said he has the option to be anywhere in the world and that his company Gerald Metals, have projects in Congo Brazzaville, Malawi, Eastern Europe, and even in America but he is committed to the project in Sierra Leone and as a result, spends a good amount of his time in the country.
"Our fiscal commitment is one thing and this is just our first payment from our full year of trading, we want to make history every year by paying more CDAs to the community", he said.
Mr. Deen said there are more than 1.7 billion tons of iron ore and expressed hope that with the partnership and support from the government and citizens, they could reach an output of up to 10 million tons annually.
He emphasized their commitment to ensuring the growth and development of their operational communities and the country as a whole.
Presenting the cheque to the people of the two chiefdoms, President Julius Maada Bio noted that when he took up office in 2018, he decided to create many reforms in the corporate mining sector, noting that one of such reforms was a 1% turnover of yearly exportation of any minerals that are mined to the mining communities.
“Today, we are here in Lunsar witnessing the fulfillment of that 1% commitment. This Le38bn will enhance the development of the beneficiary chiefdoms as a way of addressing their direly felt needs. This is what a caring government does. We cannot convert monies that are meant for community development into our own. This kind of corporate mining agreement will impact lives,” the president said.
He said initially they had a fallout with the company. “But because we had a common goal, we came back together. We had a shared vision for Marampa Chiefdom. Today, mining operations are going on uninterrupted, revenue to the government is satisfying, and land lease payments have been going on smoothly. The company is also refurbishing schools, health centers, providing scholarships to university students, among many corporate social responsibilities,” he said.
He commended the company, saying that Marampa Mines is now aligning its policy to that of the country's policy more especially on the gender aspect.
The President noted that more mining companies are now in operation than before and that all could be attributed to the dynamic stewardship of his administration, saying, “We have started cleaning the mining sector. And this is the more reason why this is happening.”
He urged the community people to take ownership of the company and not to disturb their operations or steal from them.
The Paramount Chief of Marampa Chiefdom PC Koblo Queen 11 in his statement commended President Bio for ensuring the people benefit from their God-given resources, saying that the people will show him their appreciation come the June 24 elections.
“You continue to promote the local content and that the CDA payment will enable us to create more jobs,” PC Koblo Queen said.
Marampa Mines is currently in discussions with the Government of Sierra Leone (GOSL) to secure the rights to develop the country and the regional mining sector, rail, and port under a proposed company that will be called Salone Rail and Port.
The expansion, according to officials, will increase production output alongside rail and port and will contribute significantly to the country’s economy in terms of increased taxes and royalties to the state.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (03/05/23)
