Midlands Correspondent
A CHINESE parastatal, Sinoma is set to inject $20 million under the first phase of a programme to establish its brick and tile manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Gweru.

The project which is expected to create 500 jobs during the construction stage and employ over 200 workers when the plant starts operating, would be rolled out in three phases.

Sinoma which owns 65 percent in Sino Zimbabwe Cement Company (SZCC), intends to inject a total of $50 million into the project.

SZCC managing director, Wang Yong whose company is overseeing the project, said the project would start once a deal was reached with regards to complying with the country’s Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment laws.

“We’re excited that the Chinese government through the Sinoma Group will set up a brick and tile plant next to our plant which will cost $20 million in the interim.

“I’m happy to say that the investment papers are now with the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

“There’re also other issues to do with Indigenisation which need to be sorted out and if all the issues are thrashed out, the project will begin in earnest soon because the funds are there,” he said.

The brick and tile manufacturing plant will rely on quarry shell and coal ash which are by-products of SZCC operations.

The Chinese government set up a $30 million cement manufacturing plant in Gweru a few years ago and the plant’s second phase expansion programme that is underway, will see the plant increasing production to 450,000 tonnes of cement per annum.

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