Giant cement company urges training in block production to ensure quality
Mon Oct 20, 2014
Public safety is undermined by low standard building bricks saturating the market to meet the country’s booming construction industry and experts are advising the government and stakeholders to invest in quality and standards training for brick makers.
Speaking at the close of the annual block makers’ seminar over the weekend in Dar es Salaam, Danford Semwenda, the Business Development Manager of East Africa’s lead cement producer, Tanzania Portland Cement Co Ltd (TPCC) warned that poor quality bricks weaken the integrity of final structures and that way place the public at risk.
“Besides block quality and standards set by government authorities, there is need to increase and monitor training for brick makers,” he advised.
Semwenda said the quality of the end product and value for money on the part of buyers lies in the hands of block makers and so it is vital that this group receives the needed quality and standards training.
The Business Development Manager said as leading cement producers in the region, TPCC is keen to ensure the final product, the bricks, meet the required standards.
“To do this, we are already conducting several training programs for block makers,” he said noting that the seminar is also part of their efforts to create awareness and have first hand meeting with the brick makers.
Speaking at the same event, TPCC Commercial Director Simon Delens called on the government to ‘level the playing field’ for cement manufactures in the country in respect to taxes charged.
“There is need to ensure all cement manufacturers pay due taxes and adhere to prescribed quality and standards,” he said.
“Twiga Cement embraces competition…it is healthy for business, however, it is imperative for players in the sector to compete on merits.
He added: “Twiga Cement is keen to maintain its market share but by maintaining the high quality of our products”.
He pointed out that the company had state-of-the-art material testing laboratory that ensures every ton produced conformed to their quality yardsticks.
Twiga Cement owns the largest market share in Tanzanian at 35 per cent and that company produces some 1.9 million tons of cement annually, which is equivalent to 38 million 50-kg bags and so far the largest production volume within the East African Community.
'Cement production is lucrative business in Tanzania, and the country has seen an increase of cement producers over recent years. Investors from around the globe have been rushing in to set up plants to satisfy the super appetite for cement driven by the booming construction industry', added TPCC Commercial Boss.
The resultant demand for blocks has given rise to a whole new sub-sector of block makers, which directly employs thousands of workers and consumes the bulk of cement churned into the market.
A block maker from Temeke in the city, Richard Malima, who has been in the trade for seven years said after the training: “From this training I have acquired skills that will enable me to produce better blocks and not remain just an ordinary block seller.”
SOURCE: IPPMEDIA
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