By: Varney Dukuly
MONROVIA: “I was explaining to Ambassador Michael McCarthy that in the next one year, we will be making rubber materials here, a year after that we will make hand gloves and by 2026, if God’s blessings is there, we will make our first tyres in Liberia,” said Dr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva, (cka Jeety) an Indian-Liberian business tycoon.
The road to Sachdeva’s ambitious rubber project is now reaching its achievement height with over four hundred citizens including expatriates are on board the train and many more expected to be added this July.
Dr. Sacdeva, alias ‘Jetty’ portrayed the new investment in Margibi County as opportunity that brings more jobs for the locals and strengthens their economic activities.
“I have over four hundred workers here. 85% of them are the locals from Weala and maybe the 15% will be strange workforce that may have come from places like Buchanan, Monrovia or somewhere else.
I told them if I start the factory, they will be the first people I will employ,” Jeety said.
Some developing experts opined that Liberia and the United States have a good trade relationship especially in the rubber industry. 84% of imported rubber in the United States originates from Liberia but since the operations of Firestone in 1926, a U.S-based company no rubber processing plant has been established in the country.
Investment observers are of the view that the emergence of Jetty Rubber Company which is situated in Weala, Margibi County, will usher in a new beginning for the sector that has heavily relied on imported finished rubber products from across the world.
Jeety said it was a tough journey to start the factory but with God’s blessings, full operation will kick off this year beginning July 2023.
Jeety: “Ambassador Michael McCarthy thank you very much for gracing this occasion and leaving your busy scheduled. I recalled our conversation in 2021 at my house and I told you about this project I want to do and your words were, ‘Jetty is very ambitious,’ and today, it is not ambition. Ambition has been achieved.”
The celebrated Indian-Liberian business tycoon among things assured other competitors in the rubber sector that he will not get involved in the planting of rubbers instead; the company will buy rubbers from farmers in the country to boost economic growth and prosperity.
According to him, the factory will also work in other developments such as the Eco-bank implant teller window in the Jetty rubber company.
“Overall, I must report, I got excellent support from the citizens, from the county authorities, the central government even to get this concession agreement done, it took me a short period of time and from the beginning to today I have received support from line ministries and agencies of the government because they are supporting me whole heartedly in starting this thing,” said Dr. Sachdeva alias Jetty.
In Weala, Margibi, he stressed, “I leased over fifty houses, I never broke down one house here because this is my way of identifying with the community and building their economic strength. I leased these for my expatriates who are coming.”