October 10, 2018
By Ibrahim Tarawallie
Professor Thomas B.R. Yormah
Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau has warned the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Sierra Leone Local Content Agency against sacrificing quality as they embark on a campaign to promote ‘Made in Sierra Leone products.’
According to Professor Thomas B.R. Yormah, the bureau was positioned to register and test local products for conformity to quality standards and undertaking shelf-life studies.
The Trade Ministry recently officially launch what they referred to as the ‘Made in Sierra Leone’ Trade Fair/Exhibition.
Professor Yormah reckoned that quality, which refers to the property to satisfy the desired purpose with or no undesired side effects/outcomes, was key determining factor, particularly in the case of food stuffs.
“Our local foods are produced largely under unspoilt environmentally serene conditions without the heavy use of chemicals. Because of their relatively high quality, these foods are highly sought after in especially foreign markets,” he said.
According to Prof. Yormah, a nation that overwhelmingly consumes what it does not produce and lacks the capacity to mobilise the requisite foreign exchange to underpin such warped consumption profile was doomed to remain underdeveloped.
However, Director of Sierra Leone Local Content Agency, Emmanuel Konjoh said ‘made in Sierra Leone’ products should be everybody’s lifeblood as it would be critical in moving the economy forward.
Konjoh noted that concentration on ‘made in Sierra Leone’ products would bring about domestic participation and value addition in building the country’s economy, while assuring that skill gap in areas where there is deficiency would be addressed.