Tanzania Portland Cement Company (TPCC) said production rose by just three per cent last year instead of the forecasted eight per cent due to a power crisis.
TPCC managing director, Pascal Lesoinne, during a meeting with Dr Cyril Chami, Minister for Industry and Trade, hailed the short term measure of installing emergency power generators but called for long term strategies to ensure stabile production, All Africa News reported. He challenged the power tariff increase saying it would not contribute to a stable industrial sector.
"The January tariff increase is not healthy for competitiveness of our product in external markets," he said.
Mr Leisonne who is also the Chairman of Cement Producers Association of Tanzania, said cement manufacturers were grappling with unfair competition stemming from subsidized imported cement. He called for the government to reinstate the import duty which was waived to importers.
