New Zambian wholly-owned company to build $20m Lime plant
Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 10:15
Over 50 jobs will soon be created in Ndola following a decision by a local firm Astrea Investments Limited (AIL) to construct a modern quick lime processing plant in Ndola at a cost of US$20 million this year.
The company will be the second one to venture into lime processing activities in Ndola apart from the existing Ndola Lime Company. AIL public relations manager Kelvin Sampa said plant construction is expected to start in the third quarter of this year.
The plant will have a capacity of 300 tonnes of highly reactive quick lime per day and hopes to end the monopoly in lime supply.
Mr Sampa said this in an interview in Ndola, adding that over 50 jobs will be created and the number is expected to increase in due course.
He said the plant will create opportunities for local people and enhance poverty alleviation.
“It will take 16 months to complete the state-of-the art quick lime plant to be situated in Ndola,” he said.
The company has purchased equipment for the plant from Europe and indicates that it will meet the international environmental standards for pollution control.
Mr Sampa said AIL is a new Zambian wholly-owned company that has expressed interest in the lime manufacturing sector following the high demand for the product due to increased mining projects in Zambia.
He said the company will supplement the insufficient lime products on the market which at times are imported from South Africa and the Middle East.
“The demand for lime is so high that some stakeholders ended up importing from South Africa and the Middle East,” he said.
He said good investment policies have resulted into increased investment on the Copperbelt, and Ndola in particular, adding that Government has continued to attract both local and foreign direct investments.
“We commend Government for ensuring that there is a level playing field in the country by coming up with policies that will advance investment in all economic sectors,” he said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Labels: CONSTRUCTION, NDOLA LIME
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ZSIS wanted to partner with AFS in Ndola Lime acquisition – Kabwe
By Maluba Jere
Wed 09 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT
FORMER Access Financial Services director Faustin Kabwe yesterday told the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court that the Zambia Security Intelligence Services (ZSIS) expressed interest to work with Access in acquiring Ndola Lime Company.
During continued cross examination led by dissolved Task Force on Corruption prosecutor Mutembo Nchito, Kabwe testified that AFS and ZSIS were going to acquire Ndola Lime as partners.
This is in matter where former finance minister Katele Kalumba, former finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda, former director of budget Boniface Nonde, former finance chief economist Bede Mpande, former Secretary to the Treasury Professor Benjamin Mweene and former directors of Access Financial Services Limited (AFSL) Kabwe and Aaron Chungu are facing corruption charges.
Kabwe also told the court that AFS had an ordinary banker-client relationship with ZSIS.
He explained that Access also had a relationship with Mere Care and Desai in the UK.
He added that all foreign based transactions were done through Mere Care and that ZSIS was one of their clients.
“The Zambia Security Intelligence Services just like any other client would send money to Access Financial Services through Mere Care and Desai,” he said.
However, Kabwe said Mere Care and Desai was the one holding money for ZSIS and not AFS.
He denied having ambitions for a partnership with the Office of the President but that his company was involved in other transactions with the intelligence.
Kabwe further told the court that he never benefited from any transactions or contracts between Systems Innovations and Willbain which were entered into with the Zambian intelligence service.
He said AFS was going to get 20 per cent commission on a contract with Systems Innovations through a company where he was a majority shareholder but maintained that the relationship with the OP was that of bank and client.
Kabwe also testified that he wrote to Mere Care and Desai to authorize a payment of US $10 000 to Chibanda’s son, Reggis.
He explained that he did that because Mere Care was holding funds on behalf of a client who AFS represented.
Kabwe added that he did not know anything concerning the transaction relating to the acquisition of Chibanda’s farm contrary to the allegation.
Asked by Nchito why he never bothered to find out what the transaction was about even after he faced allegations of having corruptly played a role, Kabwe said there was no cause for him to query a transaction carried out by his officers during their course of duty.
“As Chief Executive Officer of Access Financial Services, I did not have to deal with every transaction. AFS was not a one-man’s show,” said Kabwe.
Defence in the matter continues today.
Labels: ACCESS FINANCIAL SERVICES, FAUSTIN KABWE, NDOLA LIME
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Ndola Lime to increase production
Written by Kabanda Chulu
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 7:23:14 PM
NDOLA Lime head of production Joseph Chishimba has said the new energy efficient and environmental friendly plant under construction will produce 600, 000 tonnes of lime per day from the current 450, 000 tonnes pay day.
Giving updates on the US $74 million recapitalisation of the company that would be concluded in 2011, Chishimba said the new kiln and plant machinery would be fired on coal and heavy fuel oils (HFO) hence the company would cut down on cost of fuel.
“Construction started last year but by 2011, the plant will be up and running and so far we have paid 40 per cent of the total amount and Italian contractors are already on site. The new plant will have energy efficient and environmental friendly features since it will be fired on both coal and HFO hence we shall cut down on fuel costs,” said Chishimba. “And the new plant shall produce over 600, 000 tonnes of lime per day from the current production volume of 450, 000 tonnes per day.”
Ndola Lime is a wholly owned subsidiary of ZCCM Investment Holdings and currently supplies its lime products to the mines, agro-processing companies, the construction sector and local authorities for water treatment.
Under the export market, Ndola Lime supplies its lime products especially hydrated lime to Malawi and Burundi for sugar refining industry. Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa for water treatment while the DR Congo uses lime for mining metallurgical processes and Tanzania for domestic use.
Labels: JOSEPH CHISHIMBA, NDOLA LIME
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Ndola Lime staff protest over pay rise
Written by Zumani Katasefa in Ndola
Saturday, July 04, 2009 3:11:00 PM
PRODUCTION at Ndola Lime Company yesterday morning ground to a halt as workers protested against managements’ failure to award them a 40 per cent salary increment.
The irate workers who were found gathered within the company premises had also switched off kiln machines and demanded for the immediate removal of the entire management led by managing director Daudi Amis for alleged incompetence. The workers complained that the salary negotiations, which started in March this year, had taken too long to be concluded.
“The negotiations started in March but management had refused to give us a 40 per cent salary increment, and now they want to defer the negotiations to December. They are saying they cannot give us that increment because of the global financial crisis,” complained one of the workers.
The workers blocked the entrance to the company with a dump truck and big stones, hindering Amis and other managers from gaining access to the premises.
“This management has failed to buy spare parts for the faulty machines, instead they are taking any machine that develops a fault as scrap which they later sell for their personal benefits,” they said.
They further complained that the firm owed suppliers huge debts saying this was due to bad management.
“…Instead of giving us our salary increment, management instead is giving us what it is calling stand alone allowance of K110,000 each, this is sad,” they complained.
The workers also complained of casualisation at the firm and called on government to move quickly and arrest the situation.
Labels: DAUDI AMIS, NDOLA LIME, STRIKE
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Demand for lime on increase - Chongo
By Joseph Chanda in Ndola
Wednesday June 06, 2007 [04:00]
NDOLA Lime manager John Chongo has revealed that the company’s newly introduced agricultural product, Agricultural Lime, has become popular among farmers in the country. In an interview, Chongo said the demand for agricultural lime from farmers was overwhelming because it had proved to be reliable. Chongo said the product was able to neutralize the acid content in the soil which resulted in increased yields.
“For many years, this agricultural lime was being sold at give away prices because we didn’t know what it was all about. We only used to get some white commercial farmers who would come and buy it cheaply at K14,000 per tonne because we had no use for it,” he said.
Chongo said the company had some information that agricultural lime, which is normally referred to as kiln dust, could help reduce soil acidity and improve farmers’ yields.
“In 2005, we sent samples to Mount Makulu research Station in Lusaka and on the other hand we went out to Mkushi, Serenje, Mpika, Kawambwa and Solwezi and gave free seed to farmers and gave them agricultural lime so that we could see the results. And they were very encouraging and we shall continue until the 2008 farming season because it is a four-year pilot project,” he said.
Chongo said the product was helping farmers to increase their yields because most of them had ‘polluted’ their soils with fertiliser.
Ndola Lime launched Agricultural Lime in August last year.
“Now we are selling a tonne at K129,000 from K14,000. This is a big boost to our business although our core business is producing quick lime which is a popular and vital component of mining,” he said.
Chongo said the company had plans to work with the government so that the agricultural lime was distributed along with fertiliser during the farming season.
Meanwhile, Chongo said Ndola Lime was operating at a capacity of 85 per cent and was producing 850 tonnes of quick lime on a daily basis.
“We have reduced production on one of our two kilns so that we prolong its life span. One kiln is producing 400 tonnes of quicklime a day while the other gives us 450 tonnes daily,”said Chongo.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, NDOLA LIME
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