By Amin Kef Sesay
It is incontestable that the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) is fit and over qualified to be rated as one of the most admired indigenous companies that have been in the petroleum trade for years now challenging the various odds, that surface on the way, to eventually become one of the successful locally owned and driven business entities to contend with in this country. NP-SL Ltd continues to attract attention simply because it is seen to be progressively growing in terms of its improved outlook, dependability, expansion of its activities country-wide as well as beyond.
NP-SL Ltd is now a household name as there are just a handful of Sierra Leoneans who have not come into contact in one way or the other across with its brand name.
However, as the name implies, it should not be construed to be a Government, in other words a State run enterprise but rather a company that is 100% indigenously owned, formed years back by certain selfless individuals who used their end of service benefits to establish a business enterprise to procure and market petroleum products which to date it is doing professionally. With a very strong determination to succeed in their ambition, the original shareholders put all amount of seriousness to explore available possibilities and opportunities to forge ahead as a buoyant company.
Fully aware of the fact that to make a positive headway there is need for a good Management team to be at the helm of affairs in order to put everything under proper control the shareholders of the company got on board competent individuals who could deliver. Together they deemed it fit to give utmost consideration to maximize customer satisfaction from the onset. For them the company’s customers must be given the requisite satisfaction they deserve as they do exist because the company is existing.
It is against such a backdrop that the views, concerns and expectations of the company’s numerous customers are always taken into account whenever decisions are to be made. This has resulted into situations where the company gets the requisite information about what customers’ desires, their opinions of the quality of some petroleum products, the attitudes of employees etc. These inputs, from customers, help greatly in the direction of the company’s strategic planning and mapping out procurement plans.
Still within the purview of making customers feel at home, NP-SL Ltd introduced NP Gas which is a cooking device that is very fast and environmental friendly and is manufactured in different cylinders all going at affordable prices. Many have praised NP Gas saying they are glad that they are using it as it is very easy to use and refill. One can get them during opening hours and tit-bits will be provided as to how to make effective use of it or them.
To make customers avoid the hassle of first having to withdraw large cash from banks to purchase petroleum products that could last over a period of time the company also introduced the use of NP Smart Card. With this card, purchases can be intermittently made at Filling Stations without the physical exchange of cash. This pre-paid form of transacting business with the company is helping to replace the old system of public and private institutions using chits to procure fuel after which payments are later on made.
However, a company can have a loaded NP Smart Card and with the available amount embedded can use the Card to purchase the required amount of fuel instead of taking and paying later. The all-important reason why this arrangement is convenient is because there are certain Ministries, Departments and Agencies that do access quarterly budgetary allocations and so with the NP Smart Card in place they can stock their cards financially and procure accordingly.
When mention is made of companies that do strictly adhere to the implementation of the Local Content Policy NP-SL is undoubtedly among the topmost in the sense that the company’s shareholders deliberately made it a policy that as long as there are Sierra Leoneans who can do certain jobs then they must be given priority.
With all the good things that the company has to offer there is no wonder why NP-SL Ltd has become so endearing as the company continue to be a major contributor to socio-economic development
