Zimbabwe: Switzerland’s LafargeHolcim has lent US$30m in the form of a long-term loan to Lafarge Zimbabwe. The company has taken out a short-term loan of US$4.4m from a local bank, according to the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper. In its financial results for the 2018 the cement producer reported that its revenue grew by 24% year-on-year to US$72m in 2018 and that its profit before tax grew strongly to US$4.4m.

Senegal: The government plans to introduce a new tax on cement to support a house-building campaign. President Macky Sall said that the tariff would increase the cost of bags of cement, according to the Agence de Presse Sénégalaise. He added that the country has the cheapest cement in the region.

India/China/UAE: UltraTech Cement is looking for buyers for the cement production assets of Binani Cement in China and the UAE. It purchased Binani Cement’s share in joint-ventures in these countries, according to the Hindu newspaper. In China it runs a 3Mt/yr integrated plant and in the UAE it operates a 2.5Mt/yr grinding plant. However, before it was acquired by UltraTech Cement, Binani Cement was unable to sell its stake in its Chinese unit. Attempts to sell the plant in UAE are also expected to be difficult due to market overcapacity.

Gabon: Cement production rose by 42% year-on-year to 0.49Mt in 2018 from 0.34Mt in 2017. Sales rose at a similar rate to 0.49Mt, according to Infos Gabon. The Ministry of Economy attributed the growth in production and sales to the government’s decision to suspend imports of cement in mid-2017.