Calls for more competition in Zambia cement industry
Zambia’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has called for the need to enhance the existing level of competition in the cement industry so that it will lead to more consumer choice.
Commenting on Zambezi Portland Cement’s intentions to construct a new cement plant in Lusaka at a cost of US$120m, CCPC public relations officer Vaida Bunda said the cement industry has continued to depict a dominant market structure which has not resulted in the lowering of prices.
“The price of cement in Zambia remains relatively high at over US$10 (over K50,000) per 50kg of cement. It is therefore hoped that the new plant will lead to greater economies of scale and enhance competition to a higher level and assist in reducing the price of this key input in infrastructure development,” she said.
Bunda expressed optimism that the Zambian consumers will soon have a wider choice in the cement industry with the prospective entry of Nigeria’s Dangote Cements, which is expected to build a factory in Ndola rural. Published under Cement News
