By Donstance Koroma
The administrator, Kings Production Limited, Edward Solomon has called on the New Direction Administration to protect indigenous companies against imported drinks and other products.
He added that the increase on excise duty on imported drinks and reduction of customs duties on raw materials would support indigenous companies to effectively compete with foreign companies.
Solomon further told this medium that while the importers of drinks into the country only pays custom dues at the port ,they the indigenous like Kings Production are hugely involved in paying workers, maintain over head costs, machineries, imports raw materials etc
He called on government to initiate policies that can protect their businesses and make them much more secure than those who imports into the country.
This will provide more opportunities and taxes for the government and people of Sierra Leone.
The Country’s Standard Bureau according to him is hugely incapacitated to test most of the products that are sold in the country.
Responding to concerns from the public in relation to the quality of their products, Solomon noted that they are improving on the quality of their products base on the increasing public demand.
The company he recounted had developed from a single to a multiple filters and with the first caning line machine in the country.
He added that the caning line machine is a German model that is expensive and recognized globally. The machine according to him was installed by experts who also conducted in-house training for Sierra Leoneans working in the said section.
The administrator denied allegations that the company had procured robots and will in the not too distant future embark on massive redundant of workers
He acknowledged that the company has procured new automated machines that are very similar to conveyor belt all with the desire to move towards international standards and best practices.
He disclosed that the company has officially informed the Ministries of Trade and Labor about their decision to redundant a handful of workers base on their performance track records over the years while working for the company.
Edward Solomon pointed out that as a Management, they are always above the government minimum wage.
He cited that during the reign of the previous government, they were paying six hundred thousand Leones (Le600,000) while the government minimum wage stood at five hundred thousand Leones (500,000).
The New Direction Administration has tagged the minimum wage at six hundred thousand Leones and the company is currently paying its least worker seven hundred and seventy five thousand Leones (Le 775,000).
He encourage all and sundry to exercise patience with the company because it is now managed by Sierra Leoneans.