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Auxilia Katongomara, Business Reporter
ASPHALT Products, a Bulawayo-based engineering company yesterday commissioned its first local bitumen emulsion plant valued at $500,000, which would employ 150 people.

The new plant has the capacity of producing 10 tonnes of bitumen emulsion per hour. Bitumen emulsion is used in road construction.

Officially commissioning the plant, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Joram Gumbo, commended the company for the numerous works it has undertaken countrywide for various ministries and local authorities.

“Today the company reached a milestone. I say this because as you celebrate 20 years of existence we commission this new emulsion plant,” said Gumbo.

“Bitumen emulsions are used extensively in road maintenance by various road authorities including the department of roads and local authorities.”

The investment could be a testimony that Bulawayo was on the mend given the background of closure and relocation of companies in the last decade.

The minister said it was regrettable that Zimbabwe was importing an average of 250 tonnes of bitumen emulsions monthly, at a cost of over $1,5 million annually.

“The plant being commissioned today undertakes the emulsification process, which means that the country can save its import bill. It will assist in the repair and rehabilitation of the road network thereby assisting to fulfil the targets set for the Infrastructure Cluster,” said Minister Gumbo.

He said the new plant has the capacity to produce in excess of the country’s needs, which can be exported to neighbouring countries.
Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha also commended the company for expanding and said such moves would ensure that the country successfully reduces its import bill.

Asphalt company director Engineer Francis Mangwendeza said the core of the plant was imported from Ukraine while various other tankage and support products were manufactured locally.

He said local business people need government support and commended the government for encouraging indigenisation.

“This plant has the capacity to help reduce the import bill. It has created Zimbabwean jobs and is owned, managed and run by indigenous Zimbabweans,” said Mangwendeza.

“But we need government support, that support is critical for us to be able to help the country’s economy stabilise.” He said his company’s prices were very competitive and appealed to the government to change its attitude towards local business people.

“It seems to me that when they consider investments, they think of foreigners and big projects.

“Honourable minister we should put Zimbabweans as priority number one no matter how small the investment nurture and encourage them and make it even easier for Zimbabweans to invest than foreigners,” said Mangwendeza.

“We also note that the government is in the process of negotiating or has already negotiated mega deals for the rehabilitation and widening of our country’s major trunk routes. This is indeed encouraging.”

He, however, expressed concern over the dominance of “multi-nationals that are brought into the country and taking opportunities from us”.

“We believe that the local construction industry has the ability, will and technical competence to undertake these projects,” said Mangwendeza.

Present at the commissioning were Bulawayo Mayor Martin Moyo, his deputy Gift Banda, Zinara acting chief executive officer Moses Juma, Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association’s Obert Sibanda, senior council officials among others.

Asphalt Products was formed in 1996 offering specialist road surfacing services to the public and public sectors.

Some of the services  it offers include road surfacing and maintenance, supplying bitumen, bitumen emulsions, tars and civil works, earth works, water and sewer reticulation.