The opening of a cement terminal by Cement Industries Sabah Sdn Bhd (CIS) will help to ease the cement shortage problem in the east coast area of Sabah.
 
In stating this, CIS chairman Datuk Yahya Lampong said the cement terminal was built at a cost of RM45.5 million and had started full operations in April this year.
 
"With the capacity to distribute and store 300,000 to 600,000tpa, the terminal can overcome the problem of cement shortage in the east coast of Sabah," he said at the official opening of the terminal here today.
 
Yahya said the current cement requirements in the state totalled between 1.2Mt and 1.3Mta.
 
He said the CIS cement factory in Teluk Sepanggar, Kota Kinabalu, was able to produce only between 700,000 and 750,000tpa.
 
"This means there is a shortage of around RM350,000t each year in the state," he added.