Tanzanian government establishes committee to look at cement production

The Tanzanian Ministry of Industry and Trade is to establish a committee to study production and operational costs in cement plants. The announcement came on the back of calls from the domestic cement industry to reintroduce the import levy on cement as producers struggle to compete.

Speaking at a Tanzania Portland Cement Company product launch, Dr Abdallah Kigoda, Minister of Industry and Trade, said “We cannot stop the importation of cement from abroad, but we can improve the quality of our cement and the methods we use to produce.” The committee will include members from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA).

The reliability of power is a major obstacle to the cement industry in Tanzania, as is the availability of transport infrastructure, but the Minister confirmed that the government is committed to improving both these things. “Our goal is to see the cement industry grow competitively to support the growth of the construction sector,” he said.

Edited from various sources by Katherine Guenioui