Sierra Leone’s President Dr Julius Maada Bio has received the new management of the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited, led by the Managing Director, the Managing Director North and East Africa for Heineken International, the Corporate Affairs Manager and the Legal Officer and Company Secretary of the company.
The Corporate Affairs Manager, Foday Daboh, on behalf of the Sierra Leone Brewery, thanked the President and informed him that they had operated in the country for almost 60 years, resilient and living through all the odds and positive times in the country.
Mr Daboh said that the history of their company resonated with that of the country’s and outlined that they had employed over 500 Sierra Leoneans, supported over 200 local sorghum farms and local suppliers, and were working with over 15,000 outlets nationwide to sell their products. He called on the government to protect local farmers by adjusting the excise tax.
Managing Director, Ayokunle J. Owoniyi, assured President Bio and his government that they would ensure to be very corporately responsible in the country by working towards supporting the government’s agenda.
He noted that the Sierra Leone Brewery had always relied on Heineken International for cash-in year-in and appreciated the president’s commitment and determination to protect private investment.
Managing Director of North and East Africa for Heineken International, Ludovic Auvray, said they were looking forward to making sure that they built a sustainable business, managed the local environment and took care of local farmers. He assured the President that they were working with the Brewery on ways to improve the growth of sorghum in the country.
In his statement, President Julius Maada Bio welcomed the new management of Brewery and thanked the organisation for operating in the country for almost 60 years and for also working with local sorghum farmers. He assured them of his support and that of his government’s, noting that they had done the same thing to protect other private investments and local businesses in the country.
He said that Brewery’s engagement with local sorghum farmers was very important because they were directly putting money into the pockets of Sierra Leoneans, which was in line with his government’s Feed Salone IInitiative.
The President also assured the new management of Sierra Leone Brewery and other private investments in the country of his government’s continual commitment to providing a favourable business environment as well as protecting their businesses and the interests of local farmers in the country.
