Displaying items by tag: community
Indocement celebrates 45th anniversary
07 August 2020Indonesia: Indocement celebrated its 45th anniversary on 4 August 2020. To mark the occasion the company held tumpeng cutting ceremonies at four of its sites, issued new staff identification cards with updated logos and organised social media dance and singing competitions between different plants and divisions. The company’s President Director Christian Kartawijaya also inaugurated an expansion to the research and training centre at the integrated Cieureup plant in West Java. The cement producer became a subsidiary of Germany-based HeidelbergCement in 2001.
Egypt: Solomon Baumgartner Aviles, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Lafarge Egypt, says that cement demand fell by 6.5% year-on-year in the first half of 2020. In an interview with the Daily News Egypt newspaper he said that coronavirus has “strongly impacted the building materials sector” with the biggest effect on the individual construction market as people decided to save their money instead. He added that a government decision to halt licences for building, expanding, upgrading, amending, or supporting construction work for private housing in larger cities had also compounded the problem. Despite this he praised the government for supporting infrastructure projects, which are operating at full capacity.
Aviles also outlined how Lafarge Egypt has developed an integrated plan on Health, Cost and Cash to tackle the coronavirus crisis. So far it has donated over 80,000 masks and gloves, made 200L of antibacterial gel available, and supported public hospitals by refurbishing 460 ventilators.
UK: An independent report by Mott Macdonald has found that Breedon Group’s Hope Cement plant in Derbyshire contributes Euro67m/yr to the local economy, up by 15% from Euro58m/yr at the time of the previous report in July 2017. The 1.5Mt/yr integrated cement plant employs 270 people, 202 of them directly, corresponding to 1.8% of total employment in the national park in which it is situated. Its economic contribution to the park’s total economic output of Euro956m is 7%.
Breedon Group said that the 90-year-old plant “Has a long tradition of actively engaging with the local community through its many social and communal activities. These include access for local residents to the Hope Works estate and the Earles Sports and Social Club as well as on-site open days and tours and a range of local business and community partnerships.” Manager Ed Hope said, “It is gratifying to see the healthy increase in our contribution to the local economy over the past few years. We’re very proud of the part we play in the lives and employment of people in the Peak District National Park.”
Zambia: Sinoma Mpande Limestone has donated 1000 bags of cement for use in the construction of a new secondary school in Chongwe, Lusaka Province. The People’s Daily newspaper has reported that the community is responsible for a 25% contribution in addition to World Bank funding for the project. District Commissioner Robster Mwanza said that it was “hard pushed to meet this requirement” and that the cement would “go a long way” in helping.
Lucky Cement delivers coronavirus crisis relief
09 July 2020Pakistan: Lucky Cement is using its trucks to deliver food to those eligible for disaster relief under the government’s Ehsaas emergency ration scheme. Pakistan Press International has reported that since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis Lucky Cement has made food 8000 deliveries to affected people in rural Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Sindh. The company said, “We are further expanding our muscle to support more deserving families across Pakistan.”
India: JSW Cement has undertaken work to improve a dried-up canal in order make it a source of water for the irrigation needs of farmers in Bilakalaguduru village, Andhra Pradesh. The Hindu newspaper has reported that the JSW Cement team has redirected overflow water from a limestone quarry. JSW Cement also built a new temple to the gods Balaji and Varahaswamy in Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh using local black limestone.
India: The government of Tamil Nadu has responded to a labour shortage resulting from the coronavirus lockdown by training up local minors for construction jobs. The Hindu newspaper has reported that the regular workforce consists mainly of some of India’s 9m annual migrant workers who travel from rural areas to construction hubs such as Tamil Nadu’s state capital of Chennai.
The state-owned Tamil Nadu Cement Corporation (TANCEM) has said that it will increase cement production at its Arasu plant in Ariyalur to 3000t/day from 2000t/day in anticipation of construction growth in the second half of 2020.
Cimasso awards bag of cement to every blood donor
10 June 2020Burkina Faso: In response to Burkina Faso’s blood shortage due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cimasso has begun giving away one bag of cement to each person who attends blood donation clinics in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso. Sputnik News has reported that, as a result of Cimasso’s efforts in partnership with the National Centre for Blood Transfusion (CNST), medical staff have so far collected 400 bags of blood towards Burkina Faso’s World Health Organisation (WHO)-verified blood needs of 202,000 bags/yr. Cimasso director general Abdoul Rahim said that the initiative will continue, “since no one is immune to diseases that can trigger blood needs, and these actions can save lives.”
Votorantim Cimentos urges use of Ethics Line to help fight against racial discrimination
05 June 2020Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has joined in the global condemnation of racism by encouraging its employees and external stakeholders to use its Ethics Line ‘in case of any lack of respect in the work environment.’ The line is open for 24 hours a day. Votorantim Cimentos reminded people that they can also speak to a member of its leadership, the Business Ethics Agency or the Ombudsman ‘with anonymity and without fear of retaliation’. Votorantim Cimentos said, “Not being racist is not enough: we need to be anti-racists. We count on you to transform Votorantim Cimentos and our society into a more respectful, humane and inclusive place.”
Eagle Cement continues community food support
04 June 2020Philippines: Eagle Cement says it will continue to provide food packages containing rice and tinned food to 18,000 families impacted upon by the coronavirus outbreak. The Manila Bulletin has reported that the provision will not end with the partial easing of the country’s lockdown but will continue until no longer needed.
Eagle Cement chairman Ramón Ang said, “Eagle Cement is committed to continue helping our partner communities where we operate, during the crisis and beyond. We were able to expand the reach of our relief operations and extend assistance to more people in need including front liners in Bulacan and to families in our community in Cebu,” where the company is planning to build a new integrated cement plant.
"The livelihoods of many residents of our communities have been affected by this pandemic and do not have the means to provide for their families. We hope that our relief operations are able to help them in addressing their crucial needs during this vulnerable time. No matter what crisis our fellow Filipinos may experience, they can rely on Eagle to support them. As a company, it is our duty to help and serve," said Ang.