Displaying items by tag: Government
Belarus: President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has demanded that the local cement industry improve its efficiency and increase its exports. He made the comments following the approval of the appointment of Alyaksandr Dawhala as the new chief executive officer of Belarusian Cement, according to the Belapan news agency. He noted that export sales were improving with a focus on the European Union although key markets also include Poland, Latvia and Ukraine.
Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) expects San Miguel Corporation’s acquisition of a majority stake in Holcim Philippines to reduce the price of locally produced cement. Trade Secretary Ramon M Lopez said that he expected operational synergies and economies of scale to ‘hopefully’ bring down prices, according to the BusinessWorld newspaper. He also noted that import duties on imports of cement could also provide a ‘healthy competitive environment.’
San Miguel Corporation agreed to purchase LafargeHolcim’s 85.7% share in Holcim Philippines in early May 2019. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.
Mali: Ibrahima Dibo, a director of Diamond Cement Mali has denied that his company is responsible for recent price rises. At a press conference on the issue he explained that the cement producer has had fixed prices in conjunction with the government at its units at Astro and Dio Gare since 2012, according to the Le Républicain newspaper. Instead he blamed traders for exploiting cement shortages and poor roads. Dibo added that the company produced 0.73Mt of cement in 2016 from its two units in the country but that its sales have fallen since then. As a whole the country has an estimated 3Mt/yr demand for cement.
Liberia: President George Manneh Weah has written to the Liberian Senate to agree investment and incentive agreements between the government and Starr Cement. The cement producer intends to build a 0.6Mt/yr grinding plant, according to the New Dawn newspaper. The project will cost US$41m. The proposed plant will supply cement locally and to other countries in the Mano River Union, including Ivory Coast, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Nigeria: Ogbonnaya Onu, the Minister of Science and Technology, has inaugurated a pozzolana cement plant at Bokkos in Plateau state. The plant is currently being commissioned, according to the News Agency of Nigeria. The 5000t/yr grinding unit is intended to produce low cost cement. It consists of six sections: materials handling; grinding; nodulisation; calcination; milling; metering; and bagging. The plant is being run in conjunction with the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBBRI).
Belarus: The government has issued a directive ordering an increase in its stake in 12 large companies including Belarusian Cement. The government’s stake will be increased by amounts equal to the financial support the companies have been given, according to the Belapan news agency. The government reportedly invested around Euro70m into the companies.
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.
Ciments Calcia fined Euro0.67m for late payments
07 May 2019France: 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.
Nepalese government to focus on cement exports
07 May 2019Nepal: 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.