The "Nova Cimangola" company, owned by HeidelbergCement will stop importing cement as from the second half of 2005, the Factory’s Administration Board President, Fernando Nogueira, announced in Luanda.  The factory’s boss said this on Friday, following a working visit by the Speaker of the Angolan Parliament, Roberto de Almeida, to the production areas of that plant. On the occasion, he said the company will stop importing cement by mid 2005, adding that the firm will only carry on with the import of clinker (a sub-product of cement), which will also stop being imported after the furnace is installed in 2007.  The installation of the 4th line and one more mill, to be added to the four existing ones, and the rehabilitation of the quayage, worth US$9m, are the targets to be reached at medium and long terms, he said.  According to official, the company imported 150,000t of cement in 2003 and foresees to increase the imports up to 250,000t in 2004.

With a capital of US$47m, Nova Cimangola, earned, in 2003 alone, US$93m with cement sales, and reached the production capacity of 650,000tpa. The undertaking, rehabilitated from 1989 to 2001, costed US$25m. It employs 800 workers, including 18 expatriates. Plans by the company envisage 1.3Mta of production by 2007.