By Donstance Koroma
Currently, Sierra Leone is notorious in the Western world and beyond as a dumping ground due to the mass rate of expired and sub- standard goods that floods the country on a daily basis.
Therefore it is expected that the new Minister of Trade and Industry should take the bull by its horns to curb down this long standing syndicate that promotes expired and sub- standard ,goods.
But by the look of things, the existence of the Sierra Leone Standard Bureau and the consumer protection officers remain unfelt as they (consumer protection officers) are busy in money making rather than bringing those importers and smugglers to task for bringing sub standards goods into the country.
Because of the connivance between importers, smugglers and officials of the Standard Bureau, the rate of expired and sub-standard products entering the country has doubled over the years .
It could be recalled that trade inspectors in the ministry of Trade and Industry were once criticized for mortgaging their duties for a pittance was the reason for their extinction. The advent of the consumer protection Agencies was to ensure that smuggling and expired products becomes a thing of the past but to no avail.
Because the center cannot hold, the country’s porous bounders have become the short cut for importers and smugglers to the extent that certain goods currently flooding the market are without agents.
Under President Bio’s new direction, it is expected that business as usual in the ministry from top to bottom must stop as professionals in the trade ministry must exhibit leadership and patriotism