Vinyl flooring products enters Tanzania market

VINYL flooring involves the work of carpeting the floor or walls by using special hard types of carpet materials, and carpeting are products to decorate every room. A Dar es Salaam based Morco Textiles Limited has a line up of up-to-date products that suits every style to help home owners to achieve a decorative outlook. They are the quickest, simplest and most affordable products to change the look and feel of any room, be they office or homerooms. From a vast selection of carpeting of different types to find a style to fit every room, hall or conference rooms etc. Vinyl flooring is the most popular flooring options for most people given their warmth, comfort inducing and sound proofing abilities. A wide array of carpets designs, colours, qualities are available to the customers, and their choice depends on the individual customer preferences. Vinyl flooring is frequently used in healthcare facilities because it is nearly impervious to water, offering a significant sanitary advantage over carpeting or floor and wall tiles. These characteristics are particularly important in hospital rooms, extended care facilities, nursing homes and day care centers, operation theaters, maternity wards, medical labs, etc. Vinyl carpets adapts to all circumstances and is perfect for people who keep open house, for movement of seats and cushions. They are a real treat for active families. The application of vinyl products is not only done in buildings, but it’s essential for all environment from the interior of buildings to transport sectors including public buses, ships, ferry boats as well as customers logos for companies. Home owners need to think of their vinyl carpets as long-term investments just as the other furniture in the house. That is why one should not settle for poor quality carpets. When shopping for vinyl carpets, it makes sense to buy one from Morco Textile Ltd.

Vinyl flooring is made stiff by the application of heat on the ceiling.

Founded in 1974, Morco Textiles Ltd has a vast experience in drapery and carpeting, assuming a significant role in furnishing industry in the city of Dar es Salaam and throughout Tanzania. The company imports quality vinyl products from South Africa based agents who places the order that is brought by the manufacturer from a UK based Manchester Polyfloor company. Other company’s products are imported from China, Spain, Brazil, Kenya and UEA. The company is the market leader in the field of home and office furnishing, involving cushion materials, various types of carpets, blinds and many more services. Other allied products are curtain material stitching, carpet laying, sale of doormats of various sizes and cut to measure, curtain rods and fixtures, re-upholstery, rugs, bedside carpets, vinyl carpets and many others. While the company’s focus is primarily on commercial sector, its experience and reputation for good performance makes it the first choice for many homeowners, as well as building and development companies, architectural firms and designers. The products have helped the company to provide the customer with the widest possible selection of furnishing collection and styles, the best service and visualization gear in business, and unusual and unique specialty products that allow the customer to create the home or office of their dreams. There are some basic factors to be taken into consideration when determining which flooring material to select for a specific application. For example, the flooring may need to stand up to rolling carts or support standing (static) loads. Moisture resistance may be crucial, or resistance to fading. Many commercial sheet vinyl floor installations offer sealed or welded seams that prevent contaminants from being lodged in the seam area. And with fewer seams than most other hard surface floors, bacteria have fewer places to hide and grow. Disinfectant cleaners can provide a sterile surface without damaging the floor.

A technical expert from South Africa showing his expertise in vinyl carpet flooring in a building.

An interior design of the room decorated with vinyl carpet flooring.

Design flexibility
The benefits of Vinyl sheet flooring and tile are available in myriad styles and colours. Vinyl tiles is available in shapes that can be custom cut and laid out in patters using different colours or finishes. Tiles can be arranged, for example, to depict a corporate logo or to guide traffic in a hospital or retail setting. Virtually any look can be obtained to suit and décor including classic looks that simulate wood and ceramic.
Resilience
Vinyl flooring reduces noise and provide comfort underfoot. Unlike such hard surfaces as wood, laminate, terrazzo or ceramic tile, vinyl floors have “give” and thus are referred to as “resilient” flooring.
Durability
Vinyl flooring is durable and time tested, maintaining its beauty under heavy foot traffic and use. It is moisture and stain resistant, so spills can be easily removed. When compared to alternative materials, vinyl offers an attractive installed cost with economical maintenance over the life of the floor.
Aesthetics
Today’s vinyl floors are made to enhance the aesthetic feature of an interior environment. While often mimicking the look of other hard surfaces, they are warmer than ceramic tile. Designers can use pattern and colour to make a large room seem smaller or a small room more expensive. And since vinyl; is durable, the colour and original appearance will last longer with routine maintenance.
Safety features
A wide range of both tile and sheet vinyl floors are available with enhanced slip-retardant surfaces. These floors are suitable for a variety of commercial and institutional applications. Because they are vinyl, these slip-resistant surfaces can be easily cleaned.

Tanzania comes to the rescue of her cement manufacturers

TANZANIA government seems to have finally heard the cry of its struggling cement manufacturers in the country who have had for the last few months faced with stiff competition following cheap imports of cement products in the country. For the better part of this year, they have been crying foul over competition from cheap imports from far East countries notably from Pakistan, China and India. According to the Minister for Industries and Trade Dr. Mary Nagu, before the end of year 2009, the government is likely to announce a reviewed policy on providing subsidies to local cement manufacturers in the country. The government is working on the policy in order to bring about fair competition despite of the fact that the government does not give subsidies to local industries. In view of this, the government has seen the need to review its policy in order to provide subsidies to local cement factories. One factor the government thought of is the local cement industries which have created job opportunities and pay Value Added Tax (VAT) hence they contribute to the country’s economy, unlike firms from India, China and Pakistan from where the government had invited tenders of importation of cement in a bid to cater for the need of the local users following scarcity whose capacity was low compared to the demand. The demand of cement increased the price of cement in Tanzania whereby in Dar es Salaam alone, the 50 kg bag was costing Tshs. 17,000/- while in up-country regions, the same quantity went for a whooping Tshs. 25,000/-. However, the price decreased tremendously to Tsh. 11,000/- per 50 kg for cement from Pakistan and Tanzania Portland Cement Company (TPCC).

President Jakaya Kikwete and the TPCC officials during the inauguration of the new production plant at Wazo hill factory.

Daniel Simberya, Business Times reporter interviewing the out-going Managing Director of the TPCC during the inauguration of the new plant at Wazo Hill, with him is the Commercial Director of the company Mr. Steinar Harstad.


Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner was among the invited guests during the inauguration of the new production plant at Wazo Hill

Some workers of the construction firm CBMI Construction Co. Ltd, member of Sinoma Group International, the leading Chinese Cement Plant manufacturer who took the construction work of the plant at Wazo Hill.

Cement prices fluctuates in up-country regions

The Ministry of Industry said recently that if taxes had been on imported cement, its market price would have been much higher than the locally made cement. For instance the price of 50 kg of imported cement would have been sold at Tshs. 13,400/- while the cement price from TPCC in most parts of the city of Dar es Salaam whereby it has the largest market share, stands at Tshs. 11,400/-. Between January and April 2009, a total of 49 companies imported 100,453 metric tones of cement whose value was Tshs. 10.4 billion mostly from Pakistan, India, Egypt and China. According to the Minister Mary Nagu, the local input has been doubled from mere 1.5 million metric tones to 3 million metric tones, hence there will be no need for importation of cement in the near future. According to her, the giant cement company in the country TPCC is very sustainable, but Tanga cement and Mbeya cement have very slim chances of sustainability since their scale is relatively low. The Minister is on the opinion that, having a fiscal policy will enable the companies to engage in healthy competition. In a competitive economy or free market economy has to regulate the market especially in distribution. So in a free market economy regulation can help to remove monopoly tendency in the market. The government’s move would counter what some stakeholders have described as dumping of cement as the vital construction ingredient is heavily subsidized in India, China and Pakistan where the imports are said to be originating from.





An overview of the newly established production plant N0: 4 of the Tanzania Portland Cement Company at Wazo Hill in Dar es Salaam which was expanded with a view to increase production of cement in the country.

President Jakaya Kikwete opens TPCC expansion project Production Line No. 4’

In early July 2009, President Jakaya Kikwete inaugurated a cement project for the Tanzania Portland Cement Company (TPCC) located at Wazo Hill area, about 25 Kilometers north of the Dar es Salaam city. The project known as ‘TPCC-Expansion Project- Production Line No. 4’ is a new production facility whose main objective of the expansion is to increase the cement production capacity so as to cater for the current and future local market demand. The new facility involves the installation of a new kiln machine which is able to produce 2,500 metric tones of clinker per day. This is the intermediary product to a new cement mill with a capacity of producing 650,000 metric tones of cement per year. The newly installed production line is comprised of the following elements, a new crushing machine for limestone from the quarry with its two new storages able to carry 20,000 metric tones for the crushed limestone. Another element is a new dispatch facility with four bays, these are cement silo which are strategically designed to load cement on the trucks brought in the yard by customers. These have a capacity of carrying 7,500 metric tones of cement. The area on which the newly constructed production line No. 4 lies occupies an area of 320,000 square meters covering a surface of approximately more than 75 acres of land (99 years lease) owned by Twiga cement company.

President Jakaya Kikwete is being welcomed by the out-going Managing Director of the Tanzania Portland Cement Mr. Klaus Hvassing. President Kikwete was the guest of honour during the inauguration of the newly installed production plant 4of the factory at Wazo Hill on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam city.


Before inauguration, President Kikwete was taken round the factory alongside with his entourage which started from the grinding section whereby he was informed on various activities done as this is the initial stage of the clinker preparation.

This is the new grinding machine of the factory

President Jakaya Kikwete tours TPCC factory plant at Wazo.

The project was internally funded at approximately US$ 108 million (Tshs. 120 billion) through TPCC itself and through its mother group the Germany based Heidelberg Cement Group, a leading group in Cement manufacturing, as well as Ready-Mix and Aggregates businesses. The turnkey contract for the building of the new production facility was signed in March 2007 and ended in June 2009. The new machines are currently in operation and depends entirely on the lime and red soil materials which are obtained from raw material deposit (sustainable for over 45 years located at an average of 3 Km from the plant). Iron oxide materials for cement production is obtained locally from Chunya, Mbeya. Gypsum is purchased locally from Kilwa, Itigi and Dodoma. When the local resources fails to meet requirement, both gypsum and iron oxide would be imported. While the new production line is in operation, the old kiln 2 and kiln 3 of the old plant machine has been stopped for a while, and the machines are undergone for a minor repair The project proponent commissioned the center for Energy, Environment Science and Technology. The design of the project was established by TPCC engineers assisted by Norplan Consulting Engineers who worked in collaboration with technical experts from the center of Heidelberg Cement Group, Africa area based in Brussels, Belgium. These were put in orderly manner by a team of specialized engineers recruited from the Heidelberg Cement Group. The engineers of this group are all experienced in such type of projects through all other locations worldwide.

President Kikwete is shown the clinker machine which consumes about 1,500 volts of electricity in order to be able to dry the final cement product which passes through to be packed into 50kg bags in package section.

President Jakaya Kikwete opens TPCC factory plant at Wazo.

The detailed design was then further developed by the main contractor, CBMI Construction Co. Ltd, member of Sinoma Group International, the leading Chinese Cement Plant manufacturer whose senior staff are from China who were well trained before they started the job at the site. The firm is a class one registered company by Contractors Registration Board and were the main contractor of the project which worked in collaboration with other sub-contractors at the site with their respective assigned jobs to ensure that all is finished as per the standards required. National Estate & Designing Consultancy Company (NEDCO Ltd), a progressive architectural firm based in the city of Dar es Salaam, were the project manager who supervised the work in all areas to ensure that all was set as planned. The development architect conceded that the fast track nature of the project required the main contractor and the urgency of the work who in turn completed the project and delivered it on time. Without compromising on quality or durability, the professional team were able to maximize space while minimizing costs in the development of this project. The style of the project designed for a factory is contemporary and has been designed to the State-of-the-Art facility in the utmost standards. It’s believed that, the factory is the best in all within East, central and southern Africa. The newly constructed factory is comprised of industrial workshops, there is a classical; security systems such as CCTV cameras, fire detectors and alarms. But these devices would be linked later on with the process control system from the main office building. No power generation facility is installed at this time. However, depending on the conditions the electricity power supply, this remains an open option. Generators from the existing factory have started up incase of power blues. Information Technology applications are already occupying a very important position in today’s businesses elsewhere like at the Twiga Cement. The new factory benefits from this existing situation. In addition to that, the State-of-the-art Control System from siemens CEMAT will be used for conducting the process operations thus ensuring a fast, precise and constant flow of information between the central control room and the production workshops.


Journalists at work during the Presidents’ tour of the factory at Wazo Hill.


The President cuts a tape to officially open a plague as a sign of inauguration of the newly constructed production plant whose construction has cost over US$ 700,000 to be finished.

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.