Where’s the Cement? Govt Questions Forex Recipients
Published on September 2, 2025 at 1:30 PM by Edgar Naitha
Minister of Trade and Industry Vitumbiko Mumba has expressed frustration over the failure of interventions meant to stabilise cement prices and supply in Malawi.
Weeks after accusing local producers of creating artificial scarcity, Mumba revealed that some importers given government-supported foreign exchange are either hoarding cement or failed to use the funds as intended.
He said a joint team from the Ministry of Finance and Malawi Revenue Authority is auditing how much cement was actually imported and cleared at the border.
To address soaring prices, the government allocated $1 million in forex to four companies—Randera, Melton Hardware, Agrocom, and Mada Tiles—to import cement from Zambia.
However, the imported cement was only briefly available in Lilongwe and did not reach other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, local manufacturers like Cement Products Limited say they’ve been denied forex and are struggling to meet demand.
Consumers Association of Malawi’s John Kapito criticized the forex allocation strategy, calling it ineffective and unfair.
He questioned why local producers were sidelined while a few traders benefited.
Despite factory prices being around K22,500 per 50kg bag, traders are selling cement for K37,000 or more, worsening the crisis.
