Having gone through relevant paper work, President Julius Maada Bio will launch a new company today known as Arise Industrial Integrated Platforms (Arise IIP) to boost Sierra Leone’s economy. The launching will be attended by top government officials, local and foreign investors as well as heads of corporate entities. Arise IIP will create 100, 000 jobs in the short-term and 300,000 in the long term.
When launched, the company will manage the Pepel port and the Tonkolili-Pepel railway facilities in Sierra Leone, a move that will increase government’s revenues. A large stretch of land at Mamamah in PortLoko district has been allocated to the company for work to commence. It is not yet clear how many hectares of land the company will need from government.
However, the land on offer will be an economic zone meant for the transformation of Sierra Leone’s raw materials into finished goods.
According to standards set by Arise IIP, an economic zone is a specific area of the national territory allocated by government to promote agricultural products processing and other raw materials where fiscal and customs measures and facilities for setting up and administrative procedures, infrastructures and services are put in place to attract investors.
As it is done in other countries, Arise IIP economic zone will promote and attract agricultural, industrial, commercial and service investments. The Zone also will foster the development of national production and natural resources as well as develop the manufacturing industries of first, second and third transformation products.
Increase in competitiveness of ‘Made in Sierra Leone’ products and job creation is a key focus of the economic zone that will be established in Mamamah village.
With Arise IIP in Sierra Leone, such natural resources as Iron Ore, Rutile, Bauxite, chromite will be processed before exported to other countries. Apart from minerals, agricultural produce will also be transformed into finished goods for the consumption of Sierra Leoneans and others outside Sierra Leone. Cashew nuts, pineables as well as other fruits will be brought to the economic zone for processing and exporting.
Local farmers will be encouraged and supported by Arise IIP to grow the crops and fruits that command a global demand. Such initiative will improve the economy, bring in the much needed foreign exchange and lowers cost of living in the country. Sierra Leone, for a long time, has been categorised as a major agrarian country in Africa with about 70% of arable land.
But, the land has not been tilled as the toilers are few. The transport and business sectors have absorbed a good number of able-bodied men and women. Over 2, 500, 000 youth have gone into bike riding, the President of Bike Riders Union, Mohamed Tallie Bah recently told this press. Arise IIP is ready to make agriculture more attractive to the youth than any other trade.
The company has made record in several African countries where it has been operating, and ready to replicate same in Sierra Leone. It has got a strong foothold in Benin, Chad, DR Congo and others. In Benin, Arise IIP has acquired a total surface area of 1,640 hectares of land for processing of agricultural raw materials.
The zone is located 45Km out of the capital, Cotonou. Construction work started on 5th February, 2021 with a capital of 164 billion FCFA for phase one. Its net investment in Benin amounts to US$1.5 billion with a projection of 300, 000 Jobs. As over 1000 industries expected in different sectors of transformation, the company has created a tight relationship with the government of Benin, and the benefits the country has got from Arise IIP is huge.
100, 000 jobs are expected in the processing of Cashew and Shea Nuts, Pineapples and Soya Beans among others. In the Spinning, Cotton Weaving and Garment manufacturing, between 200, 000 and 250, 000 jobs are expected with 300, 000 is the principal target. The jobs if created will significantly impact on exports and GDP. Increased exports by 5 to 10 billion US dollars is expected within 10 years. It will also increase Benin’s manufacturing output by 500%.These achievements will be replicated in Sierra Leone when Arise IIP is launched.