Local cooking oil manufacturer to expand operations

Cooking oil manufacturer, Surface Wilmar is set to double output by next month following an injection of US$15 million for the expansion of the plant.

The need to double output after the injection of US$15 million for the expansion of the plant was revealed during a tour of the Chitungwiza manufacturing plant by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Cde Mike Bimha and officials from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) which owns 10 percent of the company.

Briefing stakeholders, Surface Wilmar executive chairman, Mr Narottam Somani says currently the plant is producing160 000 tonnes annually which will double up next month after the commissioning of another plant.

IDC board chairma, Mr Herbert Nkala says such manufacturing firms will anchor the re-industrialisation agenda of the local economy.

Bimha said the successes being recorded in the oil industry should cascade to other sectors of the economy adding government is committed to supporting the local industry.

With the introduction of the statutory instrument 64 of 2016, local companies need to increase production levels to meet national demand.