MML Pays 38 Billion 1st CDA Payment
... After 90Yrs Wait
By Mohamed Konneh
After a long wait, Marampa and Maforki Chiefdoms have received first ever CDA payment totaling Thirty-eight (NLe38B) Billion Leones. The payment was made possible as a result of President Julius Maada Bio"s leadership and the management of Marampa Mines Limited through the CEO, Craig Deen.
Professor Sheikh Umar Kamara was very clear on this noting that since the first soil containing iron ore was lifted from the soil the people of Marampa and Maforki Chiefdoms have never received CDA payment.
Professor Kamara was speaking during the presentation ceremony at the Lunsar community field.
The learned Professor thanked President Bio for making this possible and the management and leadership of Marampa Mines Limited as well.
Making the presentation and handing over the cheque, President Julius Maada Bio said he was delighted to be in Lunsar and to deliver what was on paper to reality.
"The last time we had a fall back with the company, but we were able to come together for the good of the people, community and the country at large.
Both of us the company and I had promised to open the mines again and the more reason this is happening" President Bio said.
President said revenue sharing with the company has been good and that government has been informed that Marampa Mines had paid land lease agreement, provide scholarships for student who are doing well.
"Thank you Marampa Mines and I am pleased that you have kept your own part. We are also happy about gender parity in the company" President Bio said.
He said Marampa Mines is now aligning its own policy to the country policy more especially on the gender aspect.
The President noted that more mining companies are now in operation than before and this is about what we have done.
This he said is not politics but doing what we are supposed to do for our people.
We have started cleaning the mining sector and this is the more reason why this is happening," President Bio noted.
He told the people of both chiefdoms that the company is theirs and they need to take good care of it.
"You don't need to steal from the company. You now have funds to do plenty development activities, he told the huge gathering.
The Chief Executive Officer of Marampa Mines Limited Craig Deen, speaking earlier on said the day is a history making day noting that the payment is the largest ever CDA payment by a mining company.
He said 38 billion Leones will go to the communities as direct payment noting that Marampa will do more.
"We don't want this mine to close again and this can only happen when we get support from the people. We have to mine in a sustainable manner so that any time we mine some amount will go towards community development, he said.
The CEO said there is every possibility that he could go elsewhere but that they have committed to make a change here while calling for support from the people.
"Our fiscal commitment happen just that first. We want to make history every year by mining more and paying more CDA to the community," he said.
He said there is more than 1.7 million tons of iron ore in the ground and that there is potential to hit more than fifty million tons.
This he said can only happens with cooperation and more investment.
Craig Deen said having Marampa Mines here means growth.
"We are here to do as much as we can to make a difference, in this community. Let me used this occasion to thank the employees and every other person who are making a difference.
The Paramount Chief of Marampa Chiefdom PC Koblo Queen II in his statement said it is good to read history but also very good to make history.
He said both Marampa and Maforki Chiefdoms will never forget you President Julius Maada Bio for making this happen.
"We will return you as president come June 24th for the simple fact that you are making this happen in our Chiefdoms.
"This CDA payment will continue. You are the tok and do president and that is exactly what you have done today.
You continue to promote the local content and that the CDA payment will enable us to create more jobs," PC Koblo Queen said.
He said since the history of their chiefdom President Bio is the only president to visit their school and award scholarship to the best pupil.
We thanked you Mr. President, he said.
When Gerald Metals, the world’s largest independent metals brokers took over Marampa Mines, they pledged to be good corporate citizens, adhere to best practices across all their mining endeavours and to ensure the communities around the mine were the first to benefit from their operations. To that end, they have strived to employ locally and develop through CSR, businesses that complement the mine and support the communities around their operations.
Last Saturday was another landmark moment.
Marampa Mines at its conception agreed to donate to a Community Development Fund, 1% of its annual revenues to the people/communities around the mine.
It is the first time, in the history of mining in this Northern region of Sierra Leone, that a company has lived up to its conceptual commitments and with the number on that cheque demonstrated so with real money.
Marampa’s contribution comes from its first full year of operations and commits to doing more as it fine tunes, expands the operations and ramps up production of its premium product, Marampe Blue.
The company sees the scope of the asset and has invested significant amounts to increase output to 3.75M tonnes of iron ore annually starting this year 2023. Further discussions are being had for increased investment of up to $300M into the operation that would see production increase to 7M tonnes of iron ore annually.
Marampa Mines are currently in discussions with the GOSL to secure the rights to develop for the country and the regional mining sector, rail and port under a new company that if successful will be called Salone Rail and Port.
Marampa’s vision for expansion would be realised sooner with access to rail and port as it will ensure the company will be more competitive in the global iron ore space as rail and port will help reduce its cost of production.
With Rail and Port, the increased volume of production would be moved to ships for export more efficiently and in a more cost-effective way.
Marampa sees an integrated solution as the best way to implement this vision.
Marampa is proposing to GOSL that through its parent company, Gerald Group, it leads the consortium to develop this asset for the people of the region and the country as a whole.
The expansion, increased production output alongside rail and port will contribute significantly to the country’s economy in terms on increased taxes and royalties to the state.
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