(3minutes read)
· The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) of Zambia has disclosed that it would undertaken a countrywide survey to check to confirm whether the three cement companies ordered to revert to pre-cartel prices have done so
· The cement firms openly admitted that they have not reduced their cement prices. Instead they appealed the decision to the competition tribunal
· But CCPC maintained that the compilation of the information from all the provincial headquarters is being done to ascertain the ground level situation
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) of Zambia has disclosed that it would undertaken a countrywide survey to check to confirm whether the three cement companies ordered to revert to pre-cartel prices have done so. www.trendsnafrica.com has carried a couple of stories how cement majors are charging more for the cement, despite the government’s strong reprimands not to do so.
The cement firms openly admitted that they have not reduced their cement prices. Instead they appealed the decision to the competition tribunal; But CCPC maintained that the compilation of the information from all the provincial headquarters is being done. The commission then would advise on the next course of action. May 8 was fixed as the deadline that was set by the board for the cement companies to reduce prices.
CCPC has ordered three companies -Lafarge Zambia Plc, Mpande Limestone Limited-Sinoma and Dangote Cement Zambia Limited – to revert to the pre-cartel factory prices by 8 May. But none of them has rolled back the prices. Instead, they have gone ahead appealing the decision of the CCPC to the higher court. While consumers have been eagerly waiting for the reduction to take effect, there is all likelihood that the issue would be caught up in a protracted court case since both the parties are refusing to budge from their stand.
