Get o know the three cemen manufacturing companies

TPCC is the leading out of the three cement manufacturing companies found in Tanzania. The company was established in 1966 and its major stakeholders is HeidelBerg Cement and its quarry factory offices are located in Wazo Hill area on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam city. The firm is publicly listed on Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. Other two companies are Tanga Cement, also known as Simba Cement, opened its factory in 1980 in Pongwe are in Tanga municipality. Holcim Mauritius Investments Holding is the major stakeholder and the company is listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. The third cement company is Mbeya Cement company Ltd, this is a member of the Lafarge group and opened in 1983 in Songwe, South of Mbeya town. The company is currently not publicly listed. The three cement manufacturing factories are also members of East African Cement Producers Association (EACPA). The association incorporates all eight giant cement companies which currently operates in East Africa region. The EACPA-Tanzania chapter is composed of three independent and competing companies. The role of association is to coordinate among its members the exchange of information pertaining to cement technology, environment and product standards to enhance the competitiveness of the cement sector within East African Community market. TPCC was established in 1959 as a private company under the name of Tanganyika Portland Cement Co. Ltd by a Switzerland based Cementia Holdings AG. In 1962, Cementia Holdings AG in collaboration with Tanganyika Development Company (now Tanzania Development Corporation). The government of Tanzania owned 20 percent of the company’s shares. After completion of construction of the cement factory, by 1966 the plant was officially opened and started production. In 1967, the government increased its shares in TPCC from 20 to 50 percent. In 1973, the company was nationalized and hence the government increased its shares to 100 percent. In 1978, Scancem International Company who are the current shareholders of the company, got a contract with the government under consultancy agreement, and in 1986, management was established.

President Jakaya Kikwete reading a statement to the audience who attended the inauguration day while journalists are also in action. Down is a cross section of the people who attended.