By JAMES KUNDA –

ZAMBEZI Portland Cement Limited (ZPC) in Ndola has this year increased annual cement production to 400,000 tonnes, which translate into two per cent rise on the 2013 production figures.
ZPC chief executive officer Peter Kanaganayagam attributed the increase in production to the strategies that management was implementing to improve the plant’s efficiency.
Mr Kanaganayagam was speaking on Tuesday when Ndola mayor Samuel Munthali visited the cement plant on a familiarisation tour.
“As at November 15, production figures were at 400,000 tonnes, two per cent better than last year. This is owed to various strategies management is implementing to improve efficiency,” Mr Kanaganayagam said.
He said the plant had an installed capacity to produce 360,000 tonnes of the commodity per year.
Mr Kanaganayagam said ZPC was enjoying a well-established market for its cement in Zambia and neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“The local market is the major consumer of our product, while the export market accounts for about 10- 15 per cent of the cement that we produce,” he said.
Mr Kanaganayagam pledged the company’s commitment to continue satisfying the market with a product meeting local and international quality standards.
Mr Munthali expressed happiness with the performance of Zambezi Portland, describing the cement producer as a vital player in the country’s economy.
“It is pleasing to note the achievements scored by Zambezi Portland because it is a major player in the economy of Ndola and Zambia as a whole,” he said.