Displaying items by tag: Government

Nepal: Ghorahi Cement has been praised by the Inland Revenue Department for paying one of the highest amount of value added tax (VAT) in the country in the 2017 – 2018 financial year, according to the Himalayan Times. The cement producer was awarded the accolade as part of the seventh National Tax Day.

Montenegro: The Chamber of Economy of Montenegro has discussed plans to build a new cement plant at Pljevlja. The project has been proposed to reduce imports of cement, grow the local economy and take advantage of local resources, according to the Vijesti newspaper. The location is favoured due to local reserves of marl, coal, gypsum and fly ash from a local coal-fired power station. However, Dragica Sekulić, the minister of economy, said that the project would require a ‘serious’ investor.

In 2017 the country imported cement with a value of Euro41m. In the first nine months of 2018 it has imported Euro39m worth of cement.

Vietnam: Ha Thanh Cement has been blocked from building a 0.5Mt/yr grinding plant in the Tran De Industrial Park in Soc Trang province. The Ministry of Construction said it did not conform to current regulations, according to the Việt Nam News newspaper. The ministry added that the company could not set up the grinding plant as there was no clinker line with the same output capacity in the region. It cited Planning 1488 on Vietnam’s cement development for the 2011 - 2020 period, with vision until 2030. Existing regulations require all cement grinding plants to accompany clinker production lines and do not allow for any standalone grinding plants.

India: Industries minister of Himachal Pradesh Vikram Sing has blamed poor road networks for the state government’s failure to find investors for a proposed cement plant project at Sikridhar in the Chamba district. The ministry is now proposing that the state build a road to the project site as an incentive, according to the Times of India newspaper. The local government received no bids for the project in the latest round of bidding.

Cambodia: The four local cement plants produced 3.67Mt of cement in the first nine months of 2018. The Ministry of Industry and Handicraft said that two more plants will open by December 2018, according to the Phnom Penh Post newspaper. Kampot Cement produced 2.21Mt, Cambodia Cement Chakrey produced 1.22Mt, Chip Mong Insee Cement produced 0.12mt and Battambang Conch Cement produced 0.11Mt. The new plants to be opened are Southern Cement (Cambodia) and Thai Boon Rong (Cement).

Egypt: The Egyptian Chemical Industries Company (Kima) plans to sell the land belonging to National Cement within the next year. Chief executive officer (CEO) Emad el-Din Mostafa said that the bankrupt cement producer owns over 300 hectares of land, according to Arab Finance. Selling the assets is part of the Ministry of Public Business Sector’s strategy to pay the former cement producer’s debts including worker salaries. The sale is expected to generate up to US$39m.

India: The Industries Department of Himachal Pradesh is planning to re-advertise the tender for a white cement plant project at Sikridhar in the Chamba district. The state government received no bids for the project in the last round of bidding, according to the Tribune newspaper. Only ACC expressed any interest in the process by buying the big papers.

The local government wants the project to be awarded by May 2019 and it is expected to cost around US$138m. The project is a long running scheme that was first suggested in 2002.

Honduras: President Juan Orlando Hernández has asked local cement producers to offer cement at a discount for use in government projects. The government and the two main producers have formed a commission to determine how to implement the request, according to La Tribuna newspaper. However, Juan Carlos Sikaffy, the head of the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP), descirbed the issue as ‘delicate’ given the taxes the cement companies pay and the jobs they create.

Myanmar: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MNREC) is seeking expressions of interest from foreign and local investors to run a feasibility project ahead of building a new cement plant at Hakha Township in Chin State. Early studies suggest that the area has sufficient limestone reserves to support a 5000t/day plant, according to the Myanmar Times newspaper. A new unit in the region is expected to boost the local economy as Chin State has no cement plants.

Ghana: The Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana (CMAG) has praised the introduction of the country’s first building code. The Building Code for Ghana was launched by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia in late October 2018, according to the Ghana Multimedia Group. The 1700-page document, in 38 sections, covers all essential areas for the operation of the building and construction industry. The production and launch of the code is intended to end irregularities in the building and construction sector and set standards to ensure that local construction is safe and meets international standards.

“Today is a very significant day in the annals of the history of this country. For the first time ever, through the collaborative efforts of different agencies, Ghana has a comprehensive Building Code. The Ghana Building Code, GS1207 of 2018 is a document that is long overdue but which has finally been delivered,” said Bawumia. He added that the code would reassure people about the risk of collapsing buildings.