5 January 2012
Maputo — The Mozambican Ministry of Industry and Trade is considering imposing a quota system for imported cement later this year, in order to protect Mozambican cement producers, according to a report in Thursday’s issue of the independent newsheet “Mediafax”.
Currently there are five cement factories in the country, but in the near future at least three more will begin production.
“Last year several production lines were inaugurated, increasing the supply of cement in the northern and central regions of the country, and this year new factories will start operations”, said the Minister of Industry and Trade, Armando Inroga, cited by the paper. “When national production capacity means that we don’t need to import cement, then we shall reduce imports, or fix quotas for imports”.
He hoped that soon all the cement used in Mozambique will have been produced in the country, and will be sold at competitive prices.
He predicted a fall in cement prices, so that imported cement would no longer be cheaper than the local product. At the moment, Mozambican cement is sold to the public at prices of between 280 and 290 meticais (10.3 to 10.7 US dollars) for a 50 kilo sack. Imported cement is 20 to 30 meticais cheaper.
Inroga was confident that by the final quarter of 2012 cement prices will be much lower than they are today.
The purpose, he said, “is that we should have a competitive cement price, so that every Mozambican can, if he wants, and depending on his income, build his own house, and the government can make enormous investments in infrastructures”.
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Mozambique: Govt Looking to Eliminate Cement Imports