By Politico Staff Writer
The withdrawal of the license of the Marampa based iron ore miner, SL Mining has rendered a lot of the local youths employed and the leaders of the community are appealing for the government to reconsider its decision.
SL Mining, which is owned by the US-based Gerald Group, operates the Marampa Mines in Lunsar in the Port Loko District, until it was striped of the license earlier this year. In August disagreement between the company and the government became public over the alleged failure of the company to respect the terms of its agreement with the government.
The call for the government to reconsider its decision was made at a session reviewing the National Employment Policy, strategy and implementation Plan.
The community leaders, who included the Paramount Chief of Marampa Chiefdom, P C Koblo Queen, made the appeal through the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security, Lansana Mohamed Dumbuya. The PC said before the government withdrew the license of S.L. Mining, most youths from the various regions in the country were employed by the company, noting that those youths were now unemployed because of the government’s decision.
But Deputy Minister Dumbuya said the process of reviewing the employment policy was indication of the government’s effort to address unemployment by focusing on skills and entrepreneurship training opportunities.
The Minister urged the participants to come up with ideas to explore the potential in agriculture, trade, tourism, art and craft in their community that could create employment opportunities. He then reaffirmed government’s commitment to creating the enabling environment for trade and investment promotion, for the creation of more job opportunities in the country.
The consultant for the National Employment Policy, strategy and implementation plan, Samuel Jamiru Brima, described the policy as the operational framework to regulate employment in the country and noting that it is relevant for use by employing institutions, employers, employees and would be employees.
The policy which was launched in 2015 was meant to be reviewed every three years.
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