By Chernor Ojuku Sesay
Cocorioko Correspondent in Freetown
Thursday November 3, 2005
Sierra Leone government, through its Minister of Trade and Industry Dr. Kadi Sesay has announced a temporary ban on the importation of all chicken into the country from Asia or from any other country the present Bird flu disease is prevailing.
Dr. Sesay said the ban is a precautionary mention the government is taking to prevent the citizens from the effect of the Bird flu disease. She said that the Standard Bureau has been mandated to thoroughly check all Containers or Cargoes entering the country to prevent the entry of any imported chicken.
She disclosed that a speacil committee has been established which include other line ministries like the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Transport and Members of Parliament to map out other strategies to prevent the disease.
However, the decision to ban the importation of chicken does not seem to go down well with some businessmen.
A Lebanes importer, Ahmed Touffic siad his Conatiner of imported chicken is already on the high seas for the Christmas festive season and ” I`m now at a very big loss because of this ban”
But ordinary citizens overwhelmingly welcome the ban and praised the government for what they described as its “foresight”.
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