The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has confirmed to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT that it has conducted investigative interviews with three top cement manufactures in Zambia.
CCPC Director Restrictive Business Practices Luyamba Kapembwa told ZBT that the commission has continued to receive complaints and queries from members of the general public on suspected cartelistic conduct in the cement sector relating to alleged price fixing conduct by some players in the sector.
She further confirmed that CCPC has continued investigations of the suspected cartel conduct against Lafarge Zambia PLC, Dangote Cement Zambia Limited, Zambezi Portland Cement Limited and Mpande Limestone Limited (Sinoma Cement).
The commission has made progress in their investigation and has so interviewed Jimmy Khan (Chief Executive Officer – Lafarge Zambia PLC); Chooye Hamusankwa (Sales and Marketing Director – Lafarge Zambia PLC); and Ahmed Khalifa (Chief Financial Officer – Lafarge Zambia PLC) on 21st September 2020.
“The Commission also interviewed Mr. Liu Liang (Sales Director – Mpande Limestone); Li Anjun (Chief Financial Officer – Mpande Limestone); and Mangiza Phiri (Former Sales Director – Lafarge Zambia PLC) on 25th September 2020”, she said.
And for an Cement operation owned by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, Kapambwe stated that “the Commission has also met with Aghostinho Henriques (Chief Executive Officer – Dangote Cement Zambia Limited) on 3rd June 2020, 6th June 2020 and
3rd July 2020”.
CCPC has since called on members of the public with information to come forward. “The Commission shall undertake more interviews with persons and enterprises of interest and will continue to employ its robust investigative techniques in order to fully determine the case. Further, the Commission would like to urge members of the general public who may have information on any cartelist conduct that may be occurring” Kapambwe stated.
There has been widespread criticism of what was described as uniform price increase of cement prices. The increase was too uniform for coincidence which has raised eyebrows among market players and analysts.
Moreover, the smaller capacity manufacturing plants effected the least increase and are currently the lowest in retail and wholesale price points, beating largest plants which are supposed to enjoy and pass on the benefits of economies of scale. -Zambian Business Times