As a result of the ongoing crippling financial crisis, Les Ciments de Bizerte is still unable to resume its normal activities in the cement industry. It is limited to grinding clinker imported from abroad and unloading ships carrying petcoke for third parties.
Clinker production has been suspended throughout the second quarter of 2024. This suspension was due to the lack of petroleum coke, the only possible fuel for the kiln, as a result of the company’s financial difficulties, which prevented it from importing this material.
The company’s cement production in the second quarter of 2024 was 33,282 tons, 76,573 tons less than the 109,855 tons produced in the same period of 2023, a decrease of 69.7%.
Lime production also fell by 37.3%, or 404 tons, compared with the same period in 2023. This decrease is due to the lack of demand for lime on the national market and in the sector.
In this regard, the company’s local sales in the first half of the current year fell by 59.7% compared with the same period in 2023, from 50.3 to 20.3 million dinars. This decrease is mainly due to the complete stoppage of clinker production during this period.
The cement company’s total sales for the first six months of the year also fell due to the total absence of exports.
As a result of its financial difficulties, the company was unable to meet its obligations to its suppliers. However, it has tried to reduce its bank debts by paying off 15.3 million dinars of its medium-term loans, which fell from 136 to 120.7 million dinars compared to the same period of the previous year.
Operating loans also dropped from 33.2 million dinars to 27.1 million dinars to pre-finance inventories. They are repaid at maturity, although there is still a possibility to extend them for a further period.
