By Foday Moriba Conteh
A shiny example of corporate uprightness since its establishment in 2014 as a leading alcohol based beverages manufacturer, MR Distilleries based at the Industrial Complex in Wellington, East End of Freetown, has succeeded to win the hearts and minds of the people within the Wellington and Calaba Town communities as well as that of the nearly 150 Sierra Leoneans, most of whom are employed from the community.
According to the appreciative community people and the workers, MR Distilleries has brought them immense lasting benefits for which they will forever continue to express gratitude to the company’s Management.
MR Distilleries’ contributions to the socio-economic development of the community that it operates in and the nation at large were vividly visible to the Parliamentary Oversight Committee that visited their huge production facility in February this year.
After observing their work ethics and their working environment, the Committee unreservedly praised MR Distilleries for respecting and obeying the country’s labor laws in ensuring that their workers are all properly documented and well paid and work in a conducive environment.
They were also impressed by the company’s bias for female employment, maintaining proper sanitation in the factory and observing the Ministry of Health’s and its partners COVID 19 prevention and spread protocols in their work spaces.
So impressed was the Committee Chairman, Hon. Veronica Sesay, with what she saw that she encouraged other investors to emulate MR Distilleries.
As a decent, law-abiding corporate citizen, MR Distilleries continues to contribute to the socio-economic development of Sierra Leone through employing our nationals, paying them well, paying taxes to NRA and carrying out their Corporate Social Responsibility to the community that they operate in.
As part of this responsibility, in April 2015, MR Distilleries presented food and non-food items worth millions of Leones to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs in complementing Government’s efforts to cater for child survivors affected by the Ebola outbreak.
MR Distilleries was part of a group of Indian owned companies in Sierra Leone that together in April 2020 contributed to donate over Le15 million worth of hand washing items through the Member of Parliament in that part of the country as a way of complementing Government’s effort in eradicating and preventing the rapid transmission of the COVID-19 disease in their operational community.
During the donation exercise the opportunity was used was to undertake a robust awareness raising and house-to-house sensitization on the disease and how to prevent contracting it.
Management of the company noted that they provided the support as a way of showing their love and passion for residents of Wellington in honoring their CSR.
Under MR Distilleries Community Development and Action Plan, the 2020/2021 schedule was directed towards complementing the Government’s efforts in providing free quality education in the Wellington Community. Thus, Management has provided furniture (2 in 1 chairs and desks) to 11 needy primary schools across Constituency 115 in the Wellington community
What is unique about MR Distilleries is that it is a deep rooted ethical minded company whose products do no harm to consumers and the environment, as the country’s Standards Bureau certifies all their products before they are put into the market.
MR Distilleries does not engage in crooked business practices such as falsely reporting their transactions and sales to NRA or the quantity that they produce and sell.
Thus, not unsurprisingly, MR Distilleries is successful because it applies proper conduct and ethical human values at all levels of its structure and operations.
MR Distilleries do not exploit their workers or use child labor. Casual laborers earn minus overtime Le200,000 per week, Le800, 000 per month which is Le200,00 above the country’s monthly minimum wage. Workers have access to medical facilities and loan facilities.
As seen from the pursuance of their CSR, MK Distilleries does not ignore the best interest of its employees, customers, the Government and the environment in a bid to earn more money.
