By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –

SCIROCCO Enterprises Limited, trading as Oriental Quarries has?invested around US$5 million in the setting up of a Poly Vinyl?Chloride (PVC) factory in Zambia.
PVC is a hard plastic used to make a wide variety of materials.
SCIROCCO Enterprises Limited managing director Moustafa Saadi said the company would continue to invest in value-added products and around $5 million had been spent to establish the PVC factory.
“The investment to date in the PVC factory is around $5,000,000?including the buildings, machinery and tools,” Mr Saadi said.
He said the future investments would include a wider variety of?products increasing the types of windows and introducing doors and?shop fronts.
Mr Saadi said the project was significant in that it allows the?company to be flexible with production made according to requirements that means no waiting time for goods to arrive as all inputs are stocked.
“Value addition as the products is made in the local factory using?local labour and inputs. Import substitution as only raw materials are?imported and all this results in reduced costs that are passed on to?the customer in the form of lower prices,” he said.
Mr Saadi said the company has created at least 850 employment?opportunities for the local people.
He said during the opening of the Oriental Builders Mart showroom in?Lusaka at the weekend that the company was committed to manufacturing valued added products that would stimulate growth in the economy.
Mr Saadi said the company would continue to develop innovative?products that would support the growth of the manufacturing industry?in Zambia.
He explained that Oriental Builders Mart was an initiative of the?Oriental Quarries showcasing products for all construction needs.?Lusaka mayor George Nyendwa commended the company for being innovative and producing products suitable for the Zambian market.