The government has once again authorized cement imports after 150,000 tonnes were brought in last year to meet demand, which had been affected by declining domestic production due to various constraints and the shutdown of the CIF cement plant, privatized in 2024. The Anseba Group won the public tender conducted by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to import 250,000 tonnes of cement, having been the sole bidder, Expansão learned from a government source. The Eritrean-origin group currently manages the Kero hypermarket chain and, in 2024, signed an agreement with Grupo Carrinho to industrialize basic food basket products.
The imports will take place in two batches: the first, comprising 150,000 tonnes, is expected to be completed by the end of March, while the second batch of 100,000 tonnes must be finalized by June 30. This follows last year’s imports of 150,000 tonnes to satisfy market demand. In 2014, Angola banned cement imports because domestic production at the time met market needs, but this capacity has since declined, leading to certain exceptions allowing the product to be imported.
The Competition Regulatory Authority (ARC) considered the import ban to limit companies’ freedom in purchasing such products, as the needs and preferences of economic agents vary. It therefore recommended that, in the future, restrictions of this nature on the acquisition of cement and clinker in the domestic market should not be imposed.
In its Report on the Assessment of the Competitive Profile of Public Policies in the Civil Construction Subsector, 2023 (the latest available), the ARC warns that “in light of the competition impact assessment methodology defined by the OECD, Article 1 of Joint Executive Decree No. 220/17 of April 17 tends to create distortions in the national cement and clinker market, since companies that might prefer to purchase through other channels are prevented from doing so.”
The 250,000 tonnes of cement to be imported by the Anseba Group correspond to 3% of the country’s production capacity, which stands at 8.5 million tonnes per year. This capacity has been affected by the shutdown of the CIF cement plant—the largest production unit in Angola, with the capacity to produce 3.6 million tonnes—as well as constraints at other factories.
Since being privatized in 2024 to a consortium formed by Griner, Cimenfort, and Mercons, the CIF plant, located in Ícolo e Bengo province, has been virtually idle, limiting cement availability in the market. This situation has contributed to the surge in the price of a 50-kilogram bag of cement, which reached 10,000 kwanzas by the end of last year.
The tender launched in January followed a sharp rise in the price of a 50-kilogram bag of cement at the end of last year, with prices exceeding 10,000 kwanzas in the informal market due to production constraints in the country and the typical speculation seen in December.
Source: Expansão
