Displaying items by tag: Government

Ghana: The Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana (CMAG) and representatives of other industries including steel and food have petitioned the Ghana International Trade Commission to protect them from ‘unfair’ trade practices. They have asked the government to follow World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and match export rebates with additional tariffs, according to the Ghanaian Times newspaper. CMAG secretary said that the local cement industry had a production capacity of 11.6Mt/yr and that this was enough to meet local demand.

Uzbekistan: The Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan has proposed abolishing cement import benefits. It wants to prioritise local production, according to Esmerk CIS News.

France: The General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCRF) has fined Ciments Calcia Euro0.67m for late payments to other businesses. France Manche, the local subsidiary of Eurotunnel, and insurance company MMA were also fined. The ceiling for such fines was increased to Euro2m from below Euro0.4m in late 2016 and is applicable to invoices issues since then. Ciments Calcia is a subsidiary of Germany’s HeidelbergCement.

Nepal: The government plans to prioritise cement as a major export. It made the announcement as part of a presentation to parliament for the 2019 – 2020 financial year, according to the Himalayan Times newspaper. However, Dhruva Thapa, president the Nepal Cement Producers' Association said that the government needs to cut taxes on the cement industry to make exports competitive.

Kenya/Tanzania: The governments of Kenya and Tanzania are working together to resume exports of cement. A delegation of Tanzanian officials are due to inspect cement plants in Kenya to verify the source of the raw materials used in their manufacture, according to the East African newspaper. This could then lead to exports of cement from Kenya to Tanzania to be re-allowed.

The two countries recently held bilateral trade talks in Arusha on non-tariff barriers. They agreed to speed up the verification missions recommended for confirmation of product origin as provided for in the East African Community rules of origin. Tanzania blocked cement despatches from Kenya in 2018 due to the use of imported clinker.

Senegal: The government plans to introduce a new tax on cement to support a house-building campaign. President Macky Sall said that the tariff would increase the cost of bags of cement, according to the Agence de Presse Sénégalaise. He added that the country has the cheapest cement in the region.

Gabon: Cement production rose by 42% year-on-year to 0.49Mt in 2018 from 0.34Mt in 2017. Sales rose at a similar rate to 0.49Mt, according to Infos Gabon. The Ministry of Economy attributed the growth in production and sales to the government’s decision to suspend imports of cement in mid-2017.

Uzbekistan: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has approved a list of companies with state-owned shares to be sold to foreign investors. It includes the country’s 35.9% stake in Kyzylkumcement. Other sectors the government is divesting its shares in include insurance, banking, power generation, oil & gas and soft drinks.

Philippines: Ramon Lopez, the head of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), says that there is no need to impose a price cap on cement yet. However, he said that the government might intervene if the price of cement reached around US$4.6/bag, according to the Philippine Star newspaper. The DTI applied a US$4/t tariff on imported cement in mid-January 2019 for a period of 200 days in response to a surge in imports.

Gabon: Ciments de l’Afrique (CIMAF) Gabon has assured the government that it can increases national production to over 1Mt/yr from 0.65Mt/yr at present. Carmen Ndaot, the Minister of Industry, and other government representatives visited the CIMAF’s grinding plant as part of an assessment of a memorandum of understanding signed with the subsidiary of Morocco’s CIMAF, according to the L’Union newspaper. The company plans to spend Euro100m towards building a new plant. It is scheduled to be completed by mid-2021.