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Cement prices slightly down
2008-02-10 09:54:34
By Business Reporter
Cement prices have slightly dropped as supply gets stable, compared to the rise during the acute shortage experienced a couple of months ago.
A survey by this paper in Dar es Salaam has shown that retail prices of cement have dropped to 15,000/- from between 16,000/- and 18,000/- that a consumer had to pay for a 50-kg bag of the item.
``The situation has not come to normal but we are seeing some significant developments,`` said Ali Mohamed, a construction material store owner.
``It can take a day or more to get a consignment from an agent after placing an order. During the crisis it was even two weeks or uncertain.``
The survey has shown that at least every store now has got cement, unlike in the past when one store out of ten stocked the item.
Dar es Salaam is mostly supplied with Twiga cement brand manufactured by its Tanzania Portland Cement Company (TPCC) also in the city, but Tanga and Mbeya cement companies also supply Dar es Salaam although in small quantities.
This paper found some stores with Tembo Cement brand from Mbeya cement factory.
``We are the agent of the factory here and now we are getting enough consignment to sell,`` said Joshua Mwakalasya.
But people complain that prices are still too high for many of them and it is a hindrance to the booming construction sector.
``I suspended building my house after a cost review gave me a prohibitive budget. I am hoping that cement prices will go down further to give us a relief,`` said Jackson Haule.
Official prices of cement for Dar es Salaam and many other places would have been down to 13,000/- per a 50kg bag.
Cement shortage was attributed to increased demand for foreign market as much of the item s found its way into the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Africa - a market that offered attractive prices.
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