BALAKA, Malawi, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- A major Chinese-funded cement plant has been launched in Balaka, about 215 km south of Lilongwe, Malawi's capital.
The 100-million-U.S.-dollar Cement Integrated Plant was initiated by Huaxin Cement Group from China, partnering with Portland Cement Malawi Limited.
Malawian Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation Joseph Mwanamvekha, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi Lu Xu, and Chief Executive Officer of Huaxin's Natal Portland Cement in South Africa Wang Xuanqian attended the commissioning ceremony Wednesday.
Mwanamvekha said the commissioning of the plant marks a "significant milestone" in Malawi's efforts toward economic transformation and industrial growth.
The launch demonstrates Malawi's commitment to building a more resilient, productive, and competitive economy in line with the Malawi 2063 Agenda, the minister said.
"The commissioning of the plant is not just a significant step towards realizing this goal but a beacon of hope for the future of our manufacturing sector in Malawi," he said.
"Our manufacturing sector, a key driver of economic growth, job creation, and industrialization, has faced challenges, but today, we celebrate our collective triumph over them."
He welcomed Huaxin's confidence in choosing Malawi for "such a significant" investment, saying it reflects progress in improving the investment climate, ensuring policy consistency, and opening the door to responsible foreign direct investment.
With the new plant, the minister said, Malawi is expected to reduce dependence on imported clinker and cement by stabilizing local supply and supporting infrastructure development.
Mwanamvekha also commended Portland Cement Malawi Limited and Huaxin Cement Group for their commitment to responsible business, community engagement, and sustainable industrial growth, calling the partnership a "reflection of the investment model that Malawi seeks to promote."
Ambassador Lu said the new plant, the largest manufacturing project currently invested in by a Chinese company in Malawi and one of the country's largest industrial undertakings, is expected to create jobs, boost Malawi's economic output, strengthen related industrial chains, and enhance local self-sufficiency.
"The plant helps to address the current 4F+M (food, fertilizer, fuel, foreign exchange, and medicine) challenges by saving 50 million dollars in foreign exchange expenditure annually, and generate 15 million dollars in foreign exchange income," Lu said.
The factory is expected to produce about 800,000 metric tons of cement annually, setting another benchmark for what she described as "pragmatic" China-Malawi cooperation. ■