AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANGA Cement Plc has said talks with the government on new cement grinding plant in Arusha region on progress.
The new investment cement grinding plant would cater for the growing high demand for cement in the local market.
The Tanga Cement Plant’s Country Executive, Mr Ben Lema said this in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday said that with the construction of the project, the factory will be able to produce between 500,000 to 750,000 tonnes per annum.
The new investment will be able to provide jobs to Tanzanians and ultimately contribute to the national income.
“We are still in talks with the government on a project to build a cement grinding plant in Arusha that will move services closer to the people of the Northern Region zone and other surrounding areas.
The talks started in 2016 and are not yet completed. We want to continue supporting the government industrialisation drive, “Lema said.
Currently, Tanga Cement Plc is transporting its cement to the Northern zone regions using a freight train that was inaugurated in Arusha recently after being out of operations for about 30 years.
Regarding the rise of cement prices in the country, Mr Lema said that in the case of Tanga Cement Plc has not raised the price but the plans is to increase cement price in January next year so as to make the shareholders get dividend.
“We have not increased the price of cement yet. These prices that have been in use since May 2020 vary depending on transportation costs,” he said.
During the Corona pandemic, Tanga Cement PLC gained a high demand for cement where production reached 108,000 tonnes in October from 95,000 tonnes to 98,000 tonnes per month.
The Tanga Cement Plc factory produces 1,250,000 to 1,260,000 tonnes of cement per year.