By JUDITH NAMUTOWE-
WORKS on the US$450 million Dangote Cement plant in Masaiti District on the Copperbelt are almost complete to pave way for commencement of production by August this year.
Company chief general manager Vivek Heblikar said the construction of Dangote’s multi-million dollar cement plant in Masaiti was on course and scheduled to be commissioned between July and August.
Mr Heblikar said all that was required was in place and that the Chinese contractor working on the project had been making steady progress with the construction works.
He said; “ the works at the newly-established plant is progressing well. We are on schedule and we are likely to commission the plant between July and August this year.”
The plant once completed was expected to produce 1.5 million tonnes of cement annually once it reaches full capacity, and would create more than 1,500 direct and indirect jobs during the construction and operational phases.
The Government was interested in the project and wanted to see production start as soon as possible to mitigate unemployment in the country.
The Government said it was serious about the Dangote project and was following with keen interest to see that the cement plant started operating.
Seventy per cent of the machinery from China and Germany had arrived into the country around October last year, and installation for some of the equipment had since been done.
