By Ralph Sesay
Calls to Business and Cerra Automotive have yesterday launched a new Khekeh product in town dubbed ‘U Na Boss,’ at the Cerra Automotive headquarters, Wilkinson Road in Freetown.
Both Companies have partnered to bring in the Italian made three wheeler tricycle Piaggio, which, according to Joe Abass Bangura, have been around in Europe since 1947.
”We are doing this because of the importance we attached to the transport sector,” the ACTB Chairman said.
He informed the press that the product has an environmentally friendly engine, strong and stable with a capacity to carry luggage up to one and half tons very much like an Hilux .
Chief Executive Officer, Cerra Automotive, disclosed that his company was established in 2011 and deals in vehicles for transportation, mining and road construction.
The Piaggio product, he went on, is from Italy and that they have brought a whole technical engineer in town to help in training local engineers in all garages where Kehkeh’s are maintenanced.
The Cerra Automotive Chief disclosed that, as the sole distributor for the product in the country, they have brought in enough lubricants and spares for the product and that several people have already been trained in the coupling of the product.
“I am proud to announce that Cerra Automotive would offer free services to all products when they undertake their first routine service,” the CEO confirmed, and concluded that they have brought two types which are the three seater Passanger wheeler and the truck models, both using diesel and petrol respectively .
The Piaggio product have several applications to complement the sanitation, Agriculture, food and drinks and garbage collection areas, as different products are already available in Europe to make things easy in these areas.
Mr. David Kamara, CEO for Call to Business, spoke on their role in bringing the product to town, expressing that this is not the first time his organization has been engaged in such ventures. He cited that they have in the past distributed over one thousand motorbikes all over the country in a similar scheme.
“Financial institutions all over the world empower people who have business ideas but don’t have monies to put those ideas into practical sense,” Mr. Kamara said, adding that they have contributed immensely in the first place for Cerra Automotive to earn the sole proprietorship for the product.
The loan scheme, he went on, would be 500/500, meaning the product is going for as low as Le500,000 as upfront payment. For individuals to qualify for the loan they should pay at least Le500,000 weekly for a period of 52 weeks.
This, according to him, is the minimal amount, as people can pay any amount above Le 500,000. The loan would however be structured based on the capacity of the individual to pay.
The ACTB CEO said that there are no set criteria for individuals to qualify for the loan as they would only be assessed based on their background and character to be able to pay the loan.
“We already have fifty applicants whose applications are currently being processed and our target is to hit the market with one thousand of the products by the close of the year.”
The loan scheme, according to Mr. Kamara, has recruited distributors for both the west, central and eastern parts of Freetown and Makeni. There are also immediate plans to go to Kono, Bo and Kenema in the not too distant future.
The ACTB CEO concluded by informing the press and people with business interest present in the conference that they would be maintaining a desk in all the distributors’ outlets around the country to be able to speedily help people who might want to involve in the scheme.
The organization also expressed plans at closely working with the Commercial Tricycle Organization in establishing a driving school for Kekehs in the country.
Charles Merry Weather, Chief Director and professional head, Ministry of Trade and Industry, stated that they, as a Government, are aware that private partnership is integral to establishing jobs in the informal sector for the huge number of youths who are jobless.
Similar statements were made by the National President of the Sierra Leone Commercial Tricycle Association, Mr. Bonnoh, who called on ACTB and Cerra Automotive to fully involve them in the process whiles urging Kekkeh owners to respect the union as they are very integral in managing the business.
The high point of the occasion was the official launching of the two products by the representative of the Honourable Minister of Trade and Industry.