Cement Products Limited impresses Mining Minister with multi – million investments in Malawi
Minister of Natural Resources and Mining, Bright Msaka has expressed satisfaction with the investment that Cement Products Limited (CPL) is making at its Njereza Plant in Mangochi saying the venture has potential to contribute to the country’s economic growth.
Msaka recently toured CPL premises which manufactures Njati and Njovu Cement among others at Njereza village in the area of Traditional Authority Mponda in the district.
According to the minister, the huge investment by CPL was a manifestation that the company had embraced the concept of Public – Private – Partnership (PPP) being championed by government whose objective is to jointly grow the country’s economy.
“I would like to say without fear of any contradiction that I am very impressed with the kind of investment at this institution.
“I am impressed by the tenacity and determination that led to the establishment of the factory…this is the type of investment that government is looking for to achieve meaningful prosperity,” Msaka said.
The minister said he was aware that the company had to take risks associated with the bad terrain and other factors that stood in their way to get the factory established in the area, adding that Malawi would stand out as a mining country due to the investment.
He assured CPL that government will continue providing it with all necessary technical support despite the company being a private company saying it also contributes to the country’s economy by creating employment and infrastructure development.
On Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Msaka said government is working out a strategy whereby a company will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a beneficiary community on how best they could accrue and sustain some of the benefits from a particular investment.
However, he highlighted that it is not viable for a community to demand things from a company on a monthly basis but instead the two should agreed at the onset what a company can do for the community they are operating in.
CPL Chairperson, Asaalam Abdul Gaffar said the company is making the investments to help reduce an influx of imported poor quality cement products and offer lower prices to Malawians.
He disclosed that the price of a bag of cement would be reduced from K5, 900 to K4, 000 when the Clinker Factory starts operating.
In addition, Gaffar said the company would open an employment window especially with the construction of a clinker making factory alongside the cement factory already in place at Njereza.
However, Gaffar expressed concern at the rising incidents of opportunity seeking locals who deliberately encroach into the company’s land.
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