RockCem CEO Calls for Fair Competition in Sierra Leone’s Cement Industry

RockCem Limited Chief Executive Officer Bilal Hajazi has called for fair competition in Sierra Leone’s cement industry, saying producers should operate under the same conditions and without preferential treatment.

Speaking in an interview with Global Times, Hajazi said RockCem was prepared to compete with other local cement manufacturers on a level playing field. He also urged the Ministry of Trade and Industry to ensure that importers and manufacturers comply with the agreed unit floor price for cement.

Call for compliance with floor price

Hajazi said companies should not agree to a minimum price and then sell below it unilaterally. “We cannot agree on a floor price and someone unilaterally decides to sell below that floor price…That will amount to unfair competition,” he said.

He described the industry as “super-saturated” and said healthy competition should be welcomed, but no company should receive an unfair advantage over others.

“We have a super-saturated industry…We welcome a healthy competition…But no one company should have an unfair advantage over the others…That is not good for the industry,” Hajazi said.

Concern over new entrants

The RockCem chief executive also expressed concern that reducing barriers for new companies could weaken fair competition in an already crowded market. He suggested a moratorium on the registration of additional entrants to prevent what he described as further saturation of the industry.

His comments come as several importers have accused SOL Co. (SL) Limited of unfair market practices, including selling cement below the agreed unit floor price. Those allegations were reported by Global Times and have not been independently verified in the supplied account.

The report said SOL Co. has a private jetty at Kent, where vessels discharge goods onto tug boats for onward transport to the company’s main warehouses at Benguima. It also stated that the company does not pay port charges. The report did not establish that the private jetty was the reason for that payment arrangement.

Ministry says allegations are being taken seriously

A spokesman for the Ministry of Trade and Industry said allegations of unfair competition in the cement industry were being taken seriously. The spokesman was not named, and no details of enforcement action were provided.

Hajazi also disclosed that RockCem is expected to reach a production capacity of 60,000 bags of high-grade cement per day by the end of 2026. Reacting to the projected capacity, he described the development as “phenomenal.”

The company’s stated position is that it is willing to compete with other local manufacturers, provided industry participants receive equal opportunities and comply with the agreed pricing arrangement.