Luanda: Angola’s cement industry currently has an installed production capacity of 8.5 million tons per year, but the country needs 2.5 million for domestic consumption.
The data were released on Thursday by the CEO of the country's Association of Cement Industries (AICA), Paul Ang.
Paul Ang was speaking at the meeting with the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Victor Fernandes.
The representative of the association, which comprises five cement companies in Angola, said that the country can export the remaining six million tons of cement it produces.
Meanwhile, Paul Ang said that the intention depends mainly on price conditions and competitiveness in the international market.
According to him, there is no increase in the price of cement, but an adjustment that follows the variation of inputs, taking into account investments.
"In dollarization, cement did not increase. Contrary, it fell by half its original price in 2015, from USD 130 a ton to USD 60 today", he said.
Paul Ang also said that the five companies that comprise AICA directly employ a total of 4, 500 people and about nine thousand indirectly.
He said that the meeting with the minister was intended to present issues that hinder the normal operation of cement companies, as well as to outline strategies to improve the business environment.
The associative leader said that at the moment it has been difficult to acquire foreign exchange to maintain equipment and purchase supplies.
However, he asked the Government to assist in reducing customs tariffs, in order to expand the export of cement to other countries.
In turn, the minister of Industry and Commerce, Victor Fernandes, said that the productive capacity of the five cement companies existing in Angola is in fact very large, a situation that leads to the promotion of the export of this product.
According to him, AICA presented several constraints that will be solved at the same time, since they involve other ministerial departments.
The minister also stressed that the country is in a market economy, therefore, they do not impose restrictions on any company that wants to invest, but it protects national production.
So far, the cement companies in Angola have exported the product to São Tomé and Príncipe and Gabon.
