APC Trade Ministry Officials Exposed

By Donstance Koroma

The recent audit exercise, conducted by the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s senior Internal Auditor, Joshua Mansaray, on the fifty (50) years trade venture agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and Gouji Investment Company, has discovered very serious anomalies.

The audit findings have revealed that the company, in question, is in arrears of ninety thousand United States dollars (USD 90,000) for 2016-2018 plus twenty percent outstanding dividend for 2016-2017 respectively.

The internal auditor also revealed that Gouji Investment does not have an effective Management Board in the country, noting that all Board members of the company are based in China. The actions of Gouji, in subletting the space provided them by government, under the agreement to other companies, contravenes the agreement between them and the government of Sierra Leone.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Peter B. Conteh, told the press that senior officials of Guoji company have intimated his office that their company was fully meeting their tax obligations to the country through some senior officials in the Ministry of Trade in the previous APC regime. He however refused to mention the names of such officials, since according to him the time is not ripe for naming them.

He indicated that his Ministry has instructed Gouji Investment Company to address all outstanding obligations with the government of Sierra Leone with immediate effect.

Minister Bayuku Conteh also disclosed plans to review the contract between the company and government, which, according to him, is to be able to meet international best practice. Healso ensured that an effective Board Management is put in place with a Deputy Board Chairman who should be a Sierra Leonean by nationality.

It could be recalled that staff, of the above stated company, have long expressed disappointment over the poor working conditions at the company including the deliberate refusal by Gouji to follow the procedures with regards the country’s labour laws.

Sierra Leoneans are calling on the New Direction Government to not only probe the Gouji contract agreement, but to also fully look at staff welfare issues that are reportedly very much deplorable over the years.