BOLIVIA: El Gobierno dice que se debe regular el precio del cemento

El ministro de Planificación del Desarrollo, René Orellana, dijo ayer que se deben regular los precios del cemento. Mientras que los constructores señalaron que las edificaciones pueden subir sus costos en 0,5%. “Hay que regular los precios (del cemento) efectivamente, vamos a informarnos y tomar medidas rápidamente porque éste es un insumo fundamental para garantizar la construcción”, sostuvo la autoridad tras salir de una entrevista en un medio radial.

Desde el martes 5, el precio de la bolsa de cemento se incrementó en Bs 2,50 (4,5%), de Bs 55,50 a Bs 58, en los departamentos de La Paz, Oruro, Tarija y Santa Cruz, informó la Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento (Soboce).

Al respecto, el presidente de la Cámara Boliviana de la Construcción (Caboco), Christian Eduardo, manifestó que esta alza no es significativa para el sector, ya que el precio de las construcciones pueden subir en 0,5%, dependiendo de cuánto cemento requiera cada obra.

En consonancia, el presidente de la Cámara de la Construcción de Santa Cruz (Cadecocruz), Guillermo Schrupp, sostuvo que el 4,5% de incremento en la bolsa de cemento no es tan significativo, aunque ello puede derivar en la subida de precios de las edificaciones. “Obviamente tiene que incidir en los costos, se tiene que traducir tanto en los privados como en los públicos”, subrayó.

En conferencia de prensa, Marcos López, gerente nacional de Comercialización de Soboce, expresó que luego de 25 meses se vieron obligados a incrementar el precio en la bolsa de cemento de 50 kilogramos. Complementó que este ajuste en la cotización cubre “muy poco” los costos de producción.

Nivelación. Remarcó que se aplicó una nivelación de precios en La Paz, Oruro, Tarija y Santa Cruz, a la cotización que ya se vende durante dos años en Cochabamba. “La empresa está preparando la información que justifica este incremento y se la va a presentar a las autoridades dentro del plazo previsto por ley”.

El presidente de la Confederación de Empresarios Privados de Bolivia (CEPB), Ronald Nostas, dijo que el sector va a esperar que Soboce justifique el incremento del producto, y que están seguros de que la compañía tomó esta decisión por alguna razón justificada. “No me cabe la menor duda de que (Soboce) tiene un justificativo bastante sólido para incrementar el precio”. El Ejecutivo anunció esta semana que se “concilian” las cotizaciones del cemento con las compañías del rubro.

ARGENTINA: Prevén fuerte aumento de despachos de cemento en 2015 por el mayor consumo interno

Prevén fuerte aumento de despachos de cemento en 2015 por el mayor consumo interno.

El incremento anual previsto, de 262 mil toneladas, se explica por el fuerte avance en las obras de infraestructura impulsadas con inversión y financiamiento público, como también por el ritmo sostenido de las construcciones privadas (básicamente viviendas), destacan fuentes del mercado. Hasta el mes pasado, la Afcp esperaba un crecimiento anual de los despachos mucho más moderado, de apenas 0,5%. 

La corrección en el cálculo se realizó luego de considerarse el importante repunte de la demanda local de cemento durante abril, en todo el ámbito nacional, destinado tanto a la construcción de viviendas como al desarrollo de obras públicas. Ese consumo superó el millón de toneladas −sumando la producción local y las importaciones−, lo cual representó un aumento de 16,7% interanual. 

La Afcp informó −además− que el mes pasado también se registró un aumento notorio en el conjunto de despachos de cemento portland (tanto para el país como para el exterior), de 16,4% respecto de abril de 2014. El consumo local de este insumo básico del sector de la construcción mostró asimismo un fuerte repunte durante el primer cuatrimestre, de 9,7%. 

La estadística consignada por la asociación empresaria refleja una clara aceleración en la demanda de cemento para uso interno, frente a los datos registrados hasta marzo, cuando se anotaron subas de 7,6% mensual y 7,3% trimestral. 

En términos mensuales, en abril el consumo interno de cemento −de 1.045.000 toneladas− creció 8% sobre el mes anterior, precisa el relevamiento de la entidad que agrupa a las fábricas cementeras que operan en el país. El pronóstico anual de la Afcp implica un nivel de ventas internas y externas 11,8% superior al registrado en 2010 y se ubica inclusive 80 mil toneladas por encima de lo anotado en el transcurso de 2011, que es hasta ahora el segundo mejor año de la industria.

ITALY: Cementir rallenta la corsa nel trimestre

Cementir rallenta la corsa, complici le difficoltà registrate in Turchia e in Egitto parzialmente attenuate dal consueto traino dei paesi scandinavi e dalla sostanziale stabilità conseguita in Estremo Oriente e in Italia. Così ieri il gruppo capitolino guidato da Francesco Caltagirone jr ha mandato in archivio i risultati dei primi tre mesi con i ricavi in leggera flessione, a 204,7 milioni di euro (-0,9%), il margine operativo lordo che si attesta a 24,2 milioni (-1,6%) e il risultato operativo pari a 3,1 milioni(-31,5%), mentre il risultato ante imposte ha cambiato segno ed è positivo per 3,8 milioni rispetto alla perdita di 1,8 milioni conseguita nel primo trimestre 2014.

A incidere, come detto, è la contrazione dei volumi venduti in Turchia (-23% per il cemento e -16% per il calcestruzzo) e in Egitto (-20%) dove hanno pesato, rispettivamente, le condizioni climatiche particolarmente sfavorevoli e la persistente incertezza politica che ha influito negativamente sullo scenario economico. Nei paesi scandinavi, invece, il buon andamento di Danimarca e Svezia, con vendite e prezzi in crescita, ha consentito di compensare la contrazione registrata nel mercato norvegese condizionato dall’arretramento dell’edilizia residenziale e dal completamento di alcune grandi opere infrastrutturali.

In Estremo Oriente, poi, il gruppo ha potuto beneficiare di una sostanziale stabilità dei ricavi nei primi tre mesi dell’anno. Sia in Cina che in Malesia, infatti, il rallentamento della domanda interna è stato in parte superato grazie all’aumento dei volumi sui mercati di esportazione. E l’Italia? I ricavi sono risultati in linea con i dati del primo trimestre 2014: i primi segnali di risveglio della domanda di mercato «hanno generato un leggero incremento dei volumi venduti di cemento e calcestruzzo - ha chiarito il gruppo nella nota diffusa ieri a valle del cda - i cui effetti sono stati neutralizzati da una diminuzione dei prezzi di vendita rispetto ai primi tre mesi del 2014».

Tornando ai numeri, i costi operativi hanno raggiunto quota 197 milioni di euro, in rialzo di 11,2 milioni rispetto al primo trimestre 2014, ma hanno scontato l’effetto cambio negativo collegato alla rivalutazione delle principali valute estere nei confronti dell’euro: a cambi costanti, infatti, i costi operativi sarebbero stati pari a 190,3 milioni, in crescita di 4,5 milioni rispetto all’esercizio precedente. Quanto all’indebitamento, pari a 326,3 milioni (+47.9 milioni rispetto al dato registrato a fine 2014), la variazione negativa è riconducibile alle dinamiche del capitale circolante e alle manutenzioni annuali degli impianti solitamente programmate nella prima parte dell’anno. Ma il gruppo non ha modificato i suoi programmi e ha confermato, per il 2015, un Mol a 190 milioni e un indebitamento di 230 milioni di euro.

COTE D´IVOIRE: Forte pénurie de ciment.

La Côte d'Ivoire est confrontée à une forte pénurie de ciment. La tonne est passée de 137 à 213 EUR soit une hausse de + 55 %. 

L’Etat envisage à court terme l’importation de 300 000 T sur les 3 mois à venir et la construction d’ici 2017 de 4 cimenteries d’une capacité de 4,3 M T. 

La production annuelle est passée de 1,9 à 2,6 T de 2012 à 2014 soit une hausse de 36,8 %. La demande sur le 1er trimestre 2015 se situe à plus de 125 000 T contre 50 000 à la même période de 2014 soit un déficit de 75 000 T sur le marché.

BRAZIL: Assinatura de protocolo vai ampliar Terminal do Porto de Cabedelo

Governo assina protocolo com empresas para ampliação do Terminal do Porto de Cabedelo

O Governo do Estado, por meio da Companhia Docas da Paraíba, assina, nesta quarta-feira (13), às 16h, na sede do Porto de Cabedelo, o protocolo de intenções para a construção do Terminal de Múltiplos Usos (TMU) em parceria com 2 empresas do setor privado, a Marlog – Marajó Logística e Serviços Ltda e o Grupo português Mota-Engil.

O investimento total corresponde a R$ 450 milhões. Com o Terminal, o Porto será ampliado, compreendendo a construção de uma área para movimentação de cargas que vai ocupar aproximadamente 100.000m². Dentro desse complexo portuário, serão construídos ainda dois novos berços de atracação com 600 metros de cais.

O presidente da Companhia Docas da Paraíba, Lucélio Cartaxo, destacou a posição privilegiada do Porto para as operações marítimas e avaliou a importância da ampliação para a estrutura competitiva. “De fato, o que muda é a capacidade operacional, pois estaremos duplicando a estrutura portuária. Com a conclusão da obra, o terminal estará apto a operar 1.600 contêineres e uma dinâmica de 115 mil TEUs ao ano”, adiantou.

Um TEU é a capacidade de carga de um contentor marítimo normal de 20 pés de comprimento, por 8 de largura e 8 de altura. No entanto, a altura pode variar de 4,25 pés (1,30m), 8,5 pés (2,6m) e até 9,5 pés (2,9m).

Gilmara Temóteo, vice presidente da Companhia Docas, ainda ressaltou a importância do empreendimento: “Servirá de estímulo econômico para toda região Nordeste, proporcionando um apoio logístico para empresas paraibanas e de estados vizinhos que dependem do escoamento de sua produção, além de cumprir as vocações portuárias de Cabedelo com total fidelidade ao plano de desenvolvimento e zoneamento do complexo portuário”.

Sobre o TMU – Essa nova estrutura vai possibilitar também a gestão de exploração de medição de cargas e descargas, guindastes, empilhadeiras, moegas, balanças, cargas soltas e de projeto, além de se tornar apto a atuar como depositário desses volumes e gerenciar a movimentação de cargas, veículos e operações portuárias.

A expectativa é que possa gerar cerca de 300 empregos diretos durante a sua fase operacional e mais 300 indiretos durante as obras de implantação do empreendimento. Como contrapartida, o grupo de empresas completará a dragagem de aprofundamento do canal de acesso e bacia de evolução do Porto de Cabedelo para a cota de 11 metros de profundidade, bem como vai realizar a manutenção das ruas de acesso ao TMU.

Durante a solenidade de assinatura, estarão presentes representantes de operadores portuários, arrendatários e de órgãos que fiscalização a ação portuárias, tais como, Polícia Federal, Receita Federal, Anvisa, Fecomércio, Fiep, CDL, Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, Ministério do Trabalho, Capitania dos Portos da Paraíba, além de sindicatos da categoria.

Entre os principais clientes do Porto de Cabedelo estão as empresas Milenium, Elizabeth Cimentos, Lafarge, Cimento Nassau, Ambev, Coteminas, Cimento Mizú e Brennand Cimentos.

Sobre o Porto – O Porto de Cabedelo está localizado em uma das melhores opções logísticas do Nordeste, estendendo sua área de influência para além das divisas. Atualmente, o Porto conta com um Cais de 602 metros de extensão; calado homologado de 9,14 metros; silagem para 100 mil toneladas de grãos, 14.000m² de armazéns cobertos e 18.000m² de pátio.

INDIA: Cement sector eyes growth in FY16

After a gap of four years, the industry is optimistic on demand and capacity utilisation increasing.

The first half of FY15 nurtured hopes of better growth but the second half was shot by a slowdown, especially in the quarter ending in March because of the government cutting expenditure.

Despite the slowdown, sector insiders and analysts are hopeful of increase in production — by at least seven to 7.5 per cent — in the current financial year.

Credit rating firm Icra said all-India cement production increased only 1.8 per cent in the period between October, 2014 and March, 2015. In the April-September, 2014 period it grew by 9.7 per cent.

“The pre-election spending and a delayed monsoon had led to a spurt in growth of demand for cement in the first half of FY15 but it slowed down after the elections got over.”

In the final quarter of FY15, government spending was cut, demand from the real estate and construction sectors was mute and income from agriculture decreased because kharif production saw a decline in due to poor monsoon. All of this affected demand for cement. The trend, however, is expected to reverse.

Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Private Limited said: “This trend in cement demand is likely to reverse during FY16 on account of higher government spending on infrastructure as announced in the Union Budget. This is likely to boost the demand for cement from real estate and infrastructure sectors. Therefore, we expect the growth in cement output to accelerate to nine per cent during the year. A total of 289.4 million tonnes of cement is likely to be manufactured during the year.”

In the following year, the output is likely to grow by 8.1 per cent backed by a sustained healthy growth in demand.

Cement players and a few analysts are, however, sceptical.

“The growth of infrastructure is directly related to the GDP (gross domestic product) growth. The realistic prediction for GDP growth is in the range of six to 6.5 per cent for the current fiscal. And going by that estimate, cement demand would rise by seven to 7.5 per cent, or touch eight per cent at the most,” said Yashwant Mishra, president (corporate), Mangalam Cement.

Ravi Sodah, an analyst with Elara Capital, too, feels the same. “Around seven per cent consumption growth is expected this fiscal. The production in FY15 was around 270 million tonnes (mt),” he said.

Sodah also said while there is no official data on consumption, it is usually in tandem with production growth as production is monitored in accordance with demand. According to Icra, all-India cement production grew by 5.6 per cent in FY15 as compared to three per cent in FY14.

According to Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) analysis, the real estate sector alone is likely to see project completions worth Rs 20-lakh crore during 2015-17. It also expects activity to pick-up in the roads and highways construction space during the same period. “About 8,314 km of roads are expected to be built during 2015-16. In the subsequent year, infrastructure companies are expected to construct 8,624 kms of road. This is much more than 3,400-4,500 km of road network added in each of the preceding five years,” it stated.

While the above factors are likely to boost cement consumption, Icra highlights the industry has seen a slowdown in addition of new capacities due to supply glut faced in recent times.

For instance, between FY11-FY15, the industry added 92 mt per annum (mtpa) cement capacities as against 122 mtpa in the preceding four-year period FY07-FY11. However, slowdown in demand (cement production grew six per cent during FY11-FY15 as against 7.6 per cent during FY07-FY11) resulted in decline in capacity utilisation from 77 per cent in FY12 to 72 per cent in FY14 despite slowdown in fresh capacity addition.

Icra expects the industry to add 28 mtpa capacities during FY16-FY17; 21 mtpa in FY16 and eight mtpa in FY17 as against the peak addition of 50 mtpa in FY10. “Assuming a demand growth of eight per cent over the next two years, the all-India cement capacity utilisation is likely to improve from 71 per cent in FY15 to 72 per cent in FY16 to 77 per cent in FY17. Delays in project execution and project commissioning may result in higher capacity utilisation levels,” Icra forecast.

INDONESIA: Prosperity Indonesia to Build $400m Cement Plant in East Java

Prosperity Indonesia, an engineering company from Hong Kong, plans to build its second cement plant worth $400 million in Tuban, East Java, at the end of this year to meet domestic demand for cement.

“The second plant in Tuban will provide the domestic demand of cement. Exports will be implemented if the domestic demand is strong,” said Prosperity Indonesia general manager He Yunfeng on Wednesday.

Prosperity expects to complete construction of its second plant in the next two years. The company has built its first plant in South Kalimantan for $300 million. It has a 3,200 metric-ton capacity of production per day, but the plant is facing short supply of electricity.

NEW ZEALAND: Holcim NZ plant closure approaches

The Holcim cement factory site in Wesport could be used as an industrial park, for electricity generation or an eco park, locals say.

As the closure of Westport cement factory creeps closer, ideas keep circulating on how best the site might be used.

Holcim is an international company, headquartered in Switzerland, that owns about 400 hectares of land, the factory, buildings and a cluster of residential houses close to the Cape Foulwind, West Coast site.

When it deconstructs the cement making factory it wants to sell off the land, buildings and 10 houses for a few million dollars. More than 100 jobs will disappear.

The buildings have been suggested as a base for an industrial park, electricity generation or even an eco park where coal or waste are turned into other forms of energy.

Holcim general manager of cement Ross Pickworth said asset sale proceeds could be used towards the factory decommissioning and site rehabilitation which would cost some millions.

Much of the surrounding land was already leased to farmers, and there was interest to buy from farming groups, Pickworth said.

Buildings on the Holcim site could also be used by a new business including an industrial park.

"There's been a few ideas come up from interested parties on things that might happen, one of those being investigated at the moment is around a recycled fuel plant (or) a coal fired plant ...," he said.

"That's probably the most promising idea that someone has come up with yet (but) all of these things require a significant banker and some real credibility."

At least he thought there was "an opportunity for some sort of small commercial industrial site. We've got some good buildings and infrastructure there."

"The site will have some use, but our expectation is that the majority of our plant will get demolished because its a 60 year old cement (site)."

Holcim remained on track to close the plant early in the second half of 2016. But that date could "move out" depending on the planned commissioning of two new cement import terminals in Timaru and the Waitemata, Auckland in 2016, Pickworth said.

Holcim head of country for New Zealand Glenda Harvey said staff were also being offered to apply for positions at Holcim's Timaru and Auckland operations and also overseas including Australia. A couple had already won roles.

However, Buller mayor Garry Howard said there were underlying discussions about the need for new West Coast jobs. State-owned miner Solid Energy last week announced 113 job losses at its Stockton mine near Westport.

It was likely Holcim would maintain some staff even when the factory closure began around the middle of 2016 given the sizeable amount of decommissioning and restoration work needed, Howard said.

The Buller District council was in talks with various parties about opportunities including some on the Holcim land.

"We don't own any of the land at the site (but) we try to facilitate potential development."

One is former councillor John Hill (an industrial chemist) who suggests an eco industrial park for the site, to convert waste into energy. The Buller region already paid higher than usual electricity prices. West Coast coal could continue to be used at the Holcim kilns, converted for a coal fired electrical plant, he said.

Later the site could be converted to processing solid waste, perhaps railed from Canterbury, into energy, Hill has suggested. He has talked to French global group Veolia which had "expressed an interest" in the idea.

Howard said Holcim's restoration work on the site could also return some extra farmland. "Basically they have near enough to 400 hectares of land, and only approximately 10 hectares in plant and equipment. The balance is currently farmed (under a lease)," he said

The Holcim business with 111 staff has shown it can still hold its head up at an operational level. Last week it won a West Coast Leading Light supreme business award.

The cement factory has been operating for 57 years. Harvey and Pickworth said it was unlikely that Holcim would retain ownership of the site or remaining assets going forward.

NIGERIA: Cement firm partners microfinance bank on 5,000 new homes quantity

A NEW deal has been sealed between a cement firm, Messrs United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM) and microfinance bank for the building of 5,000 new housing units in the country.

The agreement between UNICEM through its shareholder Lafarge in collaboration with French Development Agency (AFG) provides a long-term credit line of N1 billion to LAPO Microfinance Bank for the initiative.

This innovative solution will be extended to other states in the South South and South East region in the nearest future. Currently, the UNICEM’s Managing Director, Mr. Olivier Lenoir, said the project tagged ‘Easy Home’, was aimed at addressing Nigeria’s huge housing deficit of 17million and over 5,000 Nigerians are expected to benefit from the project Lenoir who said this last week in Calabar during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), that the project ‘is in line with our vision of ‘building a better future and commitment to contributing to addressing the situation that UNICEM has launched the ‘Easy home’ affordable housing scheme partnering LAPO Microfinance Bank’.

He disclosed that the proposed housing project “has the support of one of our shareholders, Lafarge France. As you may be aware, Nigeria has a huge housing deficit estimated at 17million.

“It is our believe that this project will afford low and middle income earners access to low interest rates loans to have their own homes.

We are offering the entire people of Cross River State and its environs an opportunity to build their dream home. This initiative is company’s contribution in solving the over 17 million housing deficit”.

Lenoir pointed out that UNICEM, being a leading manufacturer of cement, will provide its technical expertise to ‘Easy home’ residents through guidance on building plans, construction, access to quality cement and other building materials.

On his part, the Managing Director of LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited, Godwin Ehigiamuse, said that the project will go a long way to support individual home builders, especially the low and middle income earners.

According to Ehigiamuse, who was represented by the Bank’s Executive Director, Corporate Planning, Mrs. Josephine Nwachukwu, said in order to access the facility, prospective beneficiary must be able to make a minimum contribution of 10per cent of total construction cost.

Other criteria include; being either a self-employed person, salary earner or engaged in any income generating activity able to sustain the repayment, in possession of a landed property in Calabar as well as the provision of two guarantors.

He explained that the project has economic social as well as environmental impact on our clients. We are aware that houses for low-income earners are not just shelter but are equally locations for their economic activities.

The ceremony which was witnessed by a representative of Lafarge France, Mr. Aurelien Boyer, among others, will have great impact on all social indicators as experienced in other states were we started.

TANZANIA: Dangote Cement to Start Production in August

Dangote Cement Plc has said it will begin production in Tanzania in August, as the sub-Saharan Africa’s leading cement producer eyes new markets in the continent.

A $500 million factory it is building in southern Tanzania, with an annual capacity of three million tonnes, will double the country’s annual output of cement to six million tonnes.

However, Dangote Cement faces challenges in accessing coal and natural gas as sources of cheap power to run the factory, its Chairman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, told President Jakaya Kikwete at a meeting in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.

Reuters quoted a statement released by the president’s office to have revealed that Tanzania, East Africa’s second-biggest economy, had made big natural gas discoveries and has coal reserves of up to five billion tonnes, but lacks infrastructure to deliver the energy to major factories.

Dangote’s factory is being built in the Mtwara region but there is no infrastructure to connect the plant to gas from nearby offshore natural gas fields.

Dangote applied last year for a licence to build a 75 megawatt coal-fired plant in Tanzania that would power the cement factory. Initially it will power the plant from electricity on the grid.

The Nigerian company plans to roll out plants across Africa to reach an annual capacity of 62 million tonnes by 2017, up from an estimated 42 million tonnes last year.

Its Tanzanian plant will supply the domestic market and export to landlocked countries in the region. It will be competing with other Tanzanian cement producers including Tanzania Portland Cement, owned by a subsidiary of Germany’s Heidelberg Cement AG ; Tanga Cement, majority owned by Afrisam Mauritius Investment Holdings Limited; and Mbeya Cement, owned by France’s Lafarge SA

ZAMBIA: Zambezi Portland Cement confusion continues

Consfusion has continued at Zambezi Portland Cement with Italian Ventriglia brothers who are claiming ownership of the cement factory awarding workers a 10 per cent basic salary increment across the board. 

This is in stark contrast with Mahtani Group’s Finsbury Investments, which, as late as last week, ran advertisements with names of recognised board of directors of the cement company. 

According to the notice signed by Zambezi Portland corporate secretary, the recognised board of directors for the cement company include Dr Rajan Mahtani as chairman, Dumisani Tembo, Susan I. Wambulawae, Joan Craven, Peter Kanaganayam as chief executive officer and managing director, and Bishop John Mambo.

“To this effect, the board of ZPC has not passed any resolutions appointing any alternative management to the above. ZPC will not be held liable for any dealings other than with those stated above,” read the notice published on May 2. 

But during the collective agreement signing at Mukuba Hotel in Ndola on Friday, Antonio Ventriglia, who signed on behalf of the company, assured the workers of job security. 

He advised the gathering, which comprised union leaders, to ignore all adverts in the media, saying they were illegal. “We are the legitimate owners of Zambezi Portland Cement and not anybody else. We have always been and always will be. All those adverts are fraudulent and illegal. 

I built that factory from scratch. We have to trust our judiciary because the court found the deportation baseless. So go back to work with a peace of mind, in unity, together we stand. I wanted to assure you of security. We stand for our rights and the law will protect us,” said Ventriglia. 

Earlier, Mineworkers Union of Zambia general secretary Joseph Chewe urged Zambezi Portland management to work in harmony with its workers. “There have been a lot of speculations and workers are anxious to know what is happening. 

There is a lot of speculation. We urge you to handle your issues quickly so that we can move forward. We would also urge your management to be tolerant and guarantee respect for workers. It is important that you work in harmony with the workers,” said Chewe. 

And Collins Chansa, who spoke on behalf of the United Mineworkers Union of Zambia, implored Zambezi Portland management to adhere to safety, health and environmental regulations by ensuring that they were of high standard. “Safety, health and environmental standards have to be of high levels. 

That will also enhance productivity. Let’s also ensure that we adhere to what we are going to sign in here,” said Chansa. But Bishop Maambo on Friday said the government had failed to protect the interests of Zambians at Zambezi Portland Cement Limited because of political interference. Bishop Mambo also said the body searches conducted on workers by the company’s Italian management is racist and shows lack of respect for Zambians. 

A bitter share dispute engulfed the cement company for a large part of 2009 until 2011 between the Ventriglias and Dr Mahtani, who has a 58 per cent ownership through Finsbury Investment, leaving the Ventriglia family with the remaining 42 per cent.

GHANA: TAB investigates influx of imported cement

Government has directed the Tariffs Advisory Board (TAB) to investigate the influx of imported bagged cement on the country’s market.

Government gave the directive after the Local Cement Producers (LCP) petitioned the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Ekwow Spio Gabrah to address the problem which is negatively affecting their business.

Dr. George Dawson-Amoah, Coordinator of the LCP, in a statement, commended government for giving the directive to the Tariff Advisory Board to carry out investigations.

He said the influx of imported bagged cement in the country was affecting the sales of local cement producers in the country.

Dr. Dawson-Amoah, who is also the Strategy and Corporate Affairs Director of GHACEM, said the imposition of a ban on the importation of bagged cement will help the local cement industry to create more jobs and make financial contribution to the state.

He said LCP has the installed production capacity to meet the increasing demand of cement in the country.

Dr. Dawson-Amoah attributed the collapse of most local industries in the country to unfair trade practices, citing the steel, textile and aluminum industry as some of the sectors which have been affected badly.

He pledged to coordinate with the members which include Diamond Cement, Savannah Cement, Western Diamond Cement to effectively address the numerous problems.