Minister of Trade Sosten Gwengwe says the country will continue to purchase cement from neighbouring countries since local production of cement is not sufficient to meet demand.
The minister Sosten Gwengwe said this in an interview with reporters recently at Paliament Building in Lilongwe.
Gwengwe said that 80% of cement that the country use come from Zambia.
He disclosed that since July up to date the economy of Zambia has been going through crisis which is contributing to inflation as such cement prices are not stable .
“Even today, the company has increased its prices of the cement. Until the country becomes self sufficient in terms of production of its own cement, it will still be depending on our neighboring counties,” he said.
He then noted that some local producers are expected to increase their production.
He mentioned Shayona Cement which he said has capacity to double production.
Commenting on the issue, Member of Parliament for Zomba Changalume John Chikalimba noted that the country would have been producing its own cement if the previous regimes did not sell companies that were producing cement.
Chikalimba said the Tonse Alliance government should bring back those companies so that Malawi should be producing its own cement.
