The Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) has asked Lafarge Cement Zambia to further reduce the price of cement so the product can be within the reach of ordinary citizens.

ZACA executive secretary, Muyunda Ililonga said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that cement wasimportant to the country’s economy and should, therefore, be affordable.

Last week, the National Council for Construction (NCC) asked Lafarge to further reduce the price of cement from the current average of about K56, 000 per pocket, saying output had increased and consumption was down.

Mr Ililonga said consumers had expected that the price of cement would be much lower after the commissioning of the plant in Ndola and that Lafarge had in fact promised the country that prices of cement would reduce.

"We expect the price of cement to be much cheaper than it is and we challenged Lafarge to reduce even further," Mr Ililonga said.

"Lafarge assured the country that once the plant was in operation, the prices would reduce and so we are saying let them honour their promise," he said.

Source: allafrica.com