22nd January 2023.
The Government of Sierra Leone last Tuesday signed the Pepel Port and Pepel-Tonkolili Railway Development, Expansion and Management lease agreement with a company called ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms Ltd.
According to the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Timothy Kabba, this agreement is part of the bigger reforms in the mining sector, where the government intends to open the space for more players to participate.
He furthered that ARISE IIP is a credible company with a reputation for developing and managing infrastructure in Africa. โThis agreement is taking a government asset from monopoly to be more accessibleโ he added.
Minister Kabba said that the revival of the mining operation requires significant investment in infrastructure for the country to fully benefit from the growth of its mining output.
This lease agreement will give a 10% free Carry to the Government of Sierra Leone and provide access to rail and port facilities to other bulk mineral producers in the northern corridor.
The project will expand economic activities by providing jobs for Sierra Leoneans and enable passengersโ locomotion from Tonkolili through Bombali to the Port Loko district.
Through this agreement, the company will also introduce passenger rail service that provides communities with improved mobility and trade access, increase mineral export with an additional 20 million MT, 10% dividend to Government, surface rent to landowners, annual royalties, PAYE and other taxes.
Minister of Finance Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura said that ARISE IIP is a sector specialist firm with a proven record across Africa in managing infrastructure. He stated that they are signing this agreement after several consultations, due diligence and approval from the cabinet with concurrence from the Ministry of Finance.
He furthered that this agreement is in the best interest of the government and people of Sierra Leone and that after the signing, the agreement will be taken to Parliament for ratification.
The business plan, financial model and pre-feasibility studies are estimating a total investment of 476 million dollars covering the refurbishment of the Pepel Tonkolili Railway work, Pepel Port, Railway connectivity to Marampa mines, the introduction of passenger rail services and rail connection to Guinea.
Signing for ARISE IIP, Managing Director, Jesper Harring Boll stated that ARISE is a conceiver, developer and operator of high-added-value infrastructure committed to making Africa thrive with an investment of several billion dollars and a good track record across many countries in Africa like Benin, Togo, Gabon, Cote dโIvoire, Tchad, RoC, DRC or Rwanda.
He said that ARISE IIP identifies gaps in African countries that unlock value and create new industries to create local transformation and maximize production, efficiency and cost to generate growth and local value addition.
