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In his opening remarks, the Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau (SLSB), Professor Thomas Yormah, emphasized that skills development is key to more inclusive trade as this will help upgrade employees to receive basic mentoring and leadership development. He said that the trade monitors and product inspectors has an important role to play in protecting human health, the economy and environment from the negative effects of sub-standard goods in the market.
Prof. Yormah noted that it is very good to motivate and empower workers to work safely and to protect the long-term health of consumers. He disclosed that the work of the trade monitors was temporarily put on hold in order to sanitize the process of inspection, train and equip them to resume their work in the field.
In his remarks, the Chief Director, Charles Mereweather Thompson, emphasized that the trade monitors have an important role to play in unifying the system for the improvement of market transparency and substantiation of goods and products. He stated that trade monitors are expected to monitor goods, expire products, contraband goods, and submit statistical data and market intelligence to the Ministry.Â
He admonished them to treat their work with the utmost seriousness it deserves and urged them to be diligent in their work as the team now can boost of people with academic degrees.
In his remarks, Ag. Director of Domestic Commerce and Industry, Mr. Minkail Turay, said the functions of the trade monitors are so diversified and called on them not to be arrogant in the discharge of their duty. He pointed out that as trade monitors they are to collect and process data, ensure that prices are displayed on commodities, conduct price surveys on regular basis, counter smuggling and contraband goods amongst and above all ensure that no one buy unsafe goods through the channel of trade.
The program was climaxed with presentation of the trade inspection manual.
