Foreign cement floods Malawi

By WahardBetha

There is a growing influx of foreign brands of cement on the Malawi market, whose uncontrolled       importation has created shockwaves among local manufacturers of the product owing to stiff market competition posed by the foreign products.

Mining & Trade Review has established growing market competition between the imported cement and local cement brands mainly in the major cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre.

The foreign brands available in the shops include Ultra-Semi, PPC, Shuwa Cast and Sinoma, a product of China National Materials Company Limited Group – a Chinese multinational that has penetrated Africa by   establishing branches in a number of countries including neighbouring Tanzania and Zambia.

Malawi also continues to import Dangote Cement, produced by Nigeria’s giant Dangote Group through its subsidiaries in neighbouring countries.

Local manufacturers have described the market competition posed by the influx of the foreign brands as unfair since the imported   cement is manufactured in countries whose economic conditions are not similar to those in landlocked Malawi where cost of production is higher.

“The growing quantities of cheap imported cement on the Malawi market are a threat to the survival of local producers like Shayona, which employs a good number of Malawians and substantially contribute to government revenue through various taxes. We call on the Malawi government to regulate the industry in a way that will guarantee survival of local producers,” says Shayona Cement Corporation Operations Manager, PrajeeshPadmanabhan in a write-up he presented at the 2018 Annual General Meeting for the Malawi Chamber of Mines and Energy.

He says it is unfortunate that, though the country can sustain itself through utilization of local limestone               resources for production of cement, every year Malawi is importing clicker and cement worth billions of Kwacha.

Records from the National Statistical Office indicate that in 2017 alone, imports of cement and clinker amounted to MK28.76-billion.

Padmanabhan says: “Such a trend is not viable for Malawi which needs the foreign exchange used for          these cement imports for crucial requirements such as procurement of drugs for its hospitals.”

“It also has to be noted that the local cement industry is still in an infant stage and requires support from the government by controlling these imports. We are capable enough to supply the country’s requirements without the imports.”

Managing Director for Shayona Cement, Jitendra Patel, told Mining & Trade Review in a previous interview that it is imperative for the government to control cement imports and support local investments such as the expansion of the Shayona factory in Kasungu if the country is to achieve socio-economic development.

He said that besides providing employment to Malawians, the cement companies support the government in a number of ways including the provision of social amenities as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.

“The government has to appreciate our role as a partner in development and protect our investments. It has to understand that by encouraging cement imports, it is exporting jobs to those cement producing countries and    this is retrogressive at this time when all the countries are fighting to retain jobs,” said Patel.

Cement Products Limited (CPL) Chairman, Aslam Gaffar, also expresses concern over the growth in cement imports saying it is high time the government appreciated massive investments by the local producers and protect them from the harsh business environment posed by imported cement.

He says cement producers are keen to continue engaging the government through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism on the issue.

“We were expected to discuss this issue with the Ministry but the meeting was aborted at the 11th hour due to the recent cabinet reshuffle. We are looking forward to their support as we are sure they are equally anxious on the amount of forex being wasted,” he says.

However, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Trade, MayesoMsokera, says the government giveslicences to traders to import some cement to supplement the deficit from local production.

He explains that applications for import licenses for cement are scrutinized and granted upon making an appropriate demand and supply analysis.

Msokera says, “As Government, we have the mandate to balance the needs of both the producers and the consumers with regard to availability of this essential commodity as well as its price and the current cement importation does not amount to an influx.”

He explains that it is the government’s duty to stabilize supply and prices of cement so that they do not destroy the construction industry, which also employs many people and is an integral part of Malawi’s infrastructure and industrial development as it provides a growth impetus to other sectors of the economy through backward and forward linkages.

“We have had situations where cement prices rose to around MK12000 in 2017. Therefore, it is, essential that, cement availability and affordability is safeguarded for the healthy growth of the Malawi economy,” he says.

He, however, acknowledges the fact that some cement is being smuggled into the country and says, as Government, they are considering additional measures of curbing the problem.

“The Ministry is discussing with other Government agencies such as the Malawi Revenue Authority and the private sector stakeholder institutions so that issues of smuggling are addressed holistically. As a Ministry, we would like to appeal to the private sector to hold hands and collaborate with Government in order to root out this malpractice bedeviling our manufacturing sector,” says Msokera.

He also encourages local industries to improve their distribution network to ensure that cement is available in all corners of the country saying there are cases whereby companies undertaking large- scale construction projects in bordering districts prefer to import cement from neighboring countries as it makes economic sense due to transportation problems in sourcing the locally made product.

Msokera says Government is advocating for growth and development of local industries through the Buy Malawi Strategy, which encourages consumers to purchase locally produced products which are equally of good quality.

Coordinator for the Chamber of Mines and Energy Grain Malunga commented in an earlier interview  that in countries like Malawi where cost of production for cement is high due to environmental factors, there is need to guard against unfair competition such as “dumping” of foreign cement products.

“Profit margin for cement sales are less and there is need to have access to cheap power, high quality limestone and proximity to good markets and other raw materials which are not always readily available in Malawi,” he said.

He, therefore, advised the government to deal with the issue of cement carefully observing that the industry is very sensitive to legal and regulatory instability.

Both Shayona and CPL have invested in multibillion-kwacha construction of clinker producing plants at their factory areas in Kasungu and Mangochi respectively.

Shayona, which has a workforce of over 1200 mostly locals, has a comprehensive CSR programme which has seen the company constructing school blocks at a primary school close to the Kasungu factory, making drug donations to government hospitals and clinics, and planting trees annually in the factory locality to assist in environmental conservation.

Though its factory is relatively new, CPL also boosts of a CSR programme that has involved donating cooking oil making machines to members of the community in the factory area, constructing school blocks and procuring a transformer to electrify the area that hosts the factory.

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