Following a challenging 2017, Jamaican cement producer Caribbean Cement expects to roll out a two-year maintenance programme that includes a programme of reinvestment in the Rockfort plant near Kingston.

"After defining 2017 as a year of transition, the board of directors is now focused on consolidation of ongoing initiatives in health and safety, and roll-out of a two-year maintenance plan to ensure improved production performance and cement output," said the statement signed by Chairman Parris Lyew-Ayee and General Manager Peter Donkersloot.

Last year, the company investment more than JMD2.2bn (US$17.6m) into the plant.

The cement maker reported losses of more than JMD660m in the fourth quarter of 2017 and while it is yet to report on its sales volumes for 2017, domestic and export sales reached JMD16.5bn, up from JMD15.78bn in 2016, when cement sales volumes surpassed 904,000t and clinker exports dropped under 40,000t.