Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio has yesterday commissioned a $22 million All Petroleum Product (SL) Ltd, APP, facility at the east of Freetown, noting that it will add value and boost the mainstream sector of the petroleum industry in the country.

APP SL Limited is a Sierra Leone-based and pan-African-owned energy company involved in the importation, marketing, and distribution of high-quality and global industry-standard petroleum products.

“With an extensive network of retail outlets and significant storage facilities in Sierra Leone, we procure and distribute petrol (PMS), diesel (AGO), kerosene (DPK) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Our services also include the packaging and distribution of a wide range of high-quality lubricants,” the company states on its website.

Chief Executive Officer of APP, Philip Oshotse, said he was gratified to see the commissioning of the facility after several hurdles and battles with other players in the petroleum industry. He extended thanks and appreciation to the President for his strong leadership qualities in the country, and for allowing more players in the petroleum industry.

Mr. Oshotse further noted that the introduction of the APP in the sector would help stabilise the downstream industry, saying that they would continue to work with other players to make petroleum products always available in the country.

“Your Excellency, sir, the APP is committed to supporting your government in its development activities, and we will ensure that petroleum products will always be available in the country,” he concluded.

Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Regulatory Agency, Mr. Baluwa Koroma, said he was delighted to be at the commissioning of the APP, noting that the facility was seated on a 30-acre land that was a deserted slum in the Kissy Ferry Terminal area. He further noted that the petroleum sector was critical to economic growth and the creation of jobs for hundreds of Sierra Leoneans.

“Today, we are delighted that this facility, with a capacity to store 65 million litres of petroleum products, is one of the largest of its kind in the country, conveniently loading 8 trucks at a time, and a jetty capable of berthing 45-50 thousand of metric tons of cargo. This will meet and boost our domestic national storage infrastructure for petroleum products and will meet the target of product deliverability,” Baluwa assured.

In his keynote address before commissioning the facility, His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio thanked the APP (SL) Ltd. for their venture and for transforming a dilapidated and abandoned land into a beautiful jetty, adding that the work of the APP (SL) Ltd was aligned very well with his government’s development agenda.

He assured the company of a conducive, competitive business environment, with a liberalised after-care support to all players in the industry. He thanked the Honourable Vice President, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, the Petroleum Regulatory Agency, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry for their support to the construction of the facility.

He added that the facility would boost the economy, create jobs, and make the industry more competitive. President Bio, therefore, called on other players to invest in the petroleum downstream sector for a sustained national development.

“On behalf of the people and government of this great country, I am happy to be here today to commission this facility. Thank you very much,” President Bio concluded.