By Ragan M. Conteh
During the approval of the Railway and Port Lease Agreement, on Tuesday 11th May 2021, the Speaker of Parliament, Dr Chernorh Abass Bundu, ordered the Mines and Minerals Committee to zealously monitor the said Agreement.
He said the Agreement will ensure the Company’s subsidiary, Kingho Railway and Port Company Limited, utilize the infrastructure for their iron ore transportation in the country.
According to the Speaker, the Committee on Mines and Minerals should stand to the occasion to monitor the Agreement, to ensure it was implemented for the benefit of Sierra Leone.
It should be noted that the railway and port are now the assets of the Government and the People of Sierra Leone.
The 192 kilometers railway facility, which stretches from the new Iron Ore Mines in Tonkolili District to the port town of Pepel in Port Loko District, is owned by the Government of Sierra Leone.
In order to enhance effective transportation, of the iron ore from the mining site in Tonkolili and out of the country, Kingho has to lease the railway and port facilities from the GoSL.
Against this backdrop, the Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and the National Minerals Agency (NMA), signed the Lease Agreement granting Kingho Railway and Port the right to operate the railway and port facility for the transportation of iron ore out of the country.
Kingho Railway and Port Company Limited will also commercialize the use of the railway and port to other potential users along the railway and port corridors after completion of the multi-million dollar restoration and expansion work.
The Agreement proves that Kingho is here to do business and in the right way. The Company is trying to build a solid foundation of success with compliance to all government and local regulations and laws and in a transparent manner for the benefit of the company and the people of Sierra Leone.
As a result, Kingho Railway and Port Company Limited will work strictly under the guidelines of the Agreement and fulfill all its obligations.
The Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Timothy Kabba, during the ceremony, also said that the Agreement is a way of showcasing government’s support to enabling a very good working atmosphere for investors.