The Parliamentary Committee on Works and Public Assets, chaired by Hon. Bashiru Silikie, who also doubles as Deputy Leader of Government Business, recently conducted on the spot-visit on quarries in Port Loko and Tonkolili districts respectively.

He expressed mixed feelings about the operations of quarries, adding that the establishment of these companies are positive, but operating without due diligence was unprecedented. “Some of these quarries do not have Environmental Impact Assessment license,” he categorically stated. The dynamic Member of Parliament vehemently stated that his Committee has stopped the operations of quarries that have not gone through due process.

During the oversight tour, the Committee Members observed that some of the quarries were not regularized to operate. It was discovered by the Committee that some quarries were operating without a work permit from the Ministry of Works and Public Assets. It was also observed that most of the companies were owned by foreigners and do have work permits, and their job duties contravened the Local Content Policy. It was also observed that there were conflicts between quarries over concessionary areas, and that some host community members were conniving with foreigners to establish quarries without authenticating their operations. The Ministry of Works and Public Assets and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) do not have any information about some quarries, making the existence illegal.