Displaying items by tag: lobbying

Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has raised the import duty per 40kg bag of cement to US$0.20 from US$0.19. The Manila Bulletin newspaper has reported that the department issued the administrative order following a petition from the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP). The petition suggested a US$0.25/bag levy as an effective means to maintain domestic cement production. The association has blamed growing imports on a surplus in countries such as Vietnam.

The DTI previously imposed tariffs on imported cement for three year from October 2019 with a staggered reduction in the duty. However, the DTI said it would review the safeguard measure in order to modify the rate as it deemed necessary.

Germany: HeidelbergCement has strengthened its climate neutrality commitments by joining the Stiftung 2° support group, a network of private companies lobbying for climate goals. The group says that it wants “to develop cross-sector approaches and concepts for Germany and Europe in order to make climate protection a sustainable and successful business model.”

Managing board chair Dominik von Achten said, "For the development of a carbon neutral construction industry, we need the right social and political framework as well as strong partners with whom we can also be economically successful on our path to climate neutrality. As one of the leading companies in the building materials industry, we have been committed to sustainable construction for a long time. Through our involvement in Stiftung 2°, we want to work with other like-minded companies and set the course for a successful, climate neutral future now."

UK: UK Concrete and the Mineral Products Association (MPA) have launched a roadmap for the concrete and cement industry to become net negative by 2050. It plans to do this through decarbonised electricity and transport networks, fuel switching, greater use of low-carbon cements and concretes as well as carbon capture, use or storage (CCUS) technology.

“We have already made significant progress to reduce carbon emissions but are under no illusion about the scale of the net zero challenge,” said Nigel Jackson, chief executive of the MPA. “Achieving this will require the wholesale decarbonisation of all aspects of concrete and cement production, supply and use. The concrete and cement industry as one sector alone cannot deliver net zero and we will only be able to go beyond net zero with concerted support from government, as well as with significant changes across the wider construction, energy and transportation sectors.” He added that the roadmap could be delivered without offsetting emissions, offshoring production facilities or ‘carbon leakage.’

The ‘Roadmap to beyond net zero’ calculates the potential of each technology and the carbon savings which can be achieved. CCUS technology is vital to delivering net zero manufacturing and according to the roadmap will deliver 61% of the required carbon savings. It intends to achieve a net negative industry by 2050 by the ability of concrete to absorb carbon dioxide during use and the thermal properties of concrete in buildings and structures to reduce operational emissions.

The MPA is also lobbying the government for a financial support model including for the capital and operational costs of carbon capture by no later than 2021. This is desired to ensure the technology can be developed, deployed and become an investable proposition in the 2030s.

Germany: Inclusive Development International, the Heinrich Böll Foundation and FoodFirst Information and Action Network (FIAN) Germany have filed a complaint with the German government about HeidelbergCement subsidiary Indocement’s planned Kendeng, East Java integrated cement plant and quarry, which they say may adversely impact 35,000 livelihoods in the agricultural region. FIAN Germany managing director Philipp Mimkes said, “The government must meet its human rights obligations and act immediately. The rights to food and water of the communities in Kendeng must be protected against threatened injuries by this HeidelbergCement subsidiary. The food security of thousands of local farmers is at stake.”

Pakistan: Leading cement producers have said that prices will rise by 10% before 2021 if a reduction in Federal Excise Duty (FED) to US$5.95/t of cement from US$11.9/t does not materialise. DG Khan Cement owner Nishat Group chair Mian Mansha said, “Failing this, producers will take a US$119m total hit on revenues,” according to the Express Tribune newspaper.

Russia: The Commission for Entrepreneurs’ Rights has asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to change Council for Standardisation, Metrology and Certification (GOST) conformity assessment and cement certification rules requiring production and packaging of cement to be carried out by a single legal entity. The commission says that the restriction, introduced in September 2019, unfairly restrains smaller-scale producers, according to the Kommersant newspaper.

In an open letter to Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, Commissioner Boris Titov said, “This preferential treatment of full-scale enterprises negatively affects the formation of a competitive environment. The purpose of cement certification is to confirm quality and safety, which clearly do not depend on production and packaging being carried out by a single legal entity.”

India: The Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) has contacted the Department for the Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade to urge its reconsideration of an expected decision that the CMA says will disrupt the mining sector, upon which eight key industries including cement depend. Indo-Asian News Service has reported that the government department may be considering the deletion of a provision of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (Amendment) Act that gives a captive lease to reconnaissance permit (RP) and prospecting licence (PL) holders to begin mining for minerals discovered in the licenced area. The CMA has argued that introducing any additional stage between explorations and extraction “would not go well with the spirit of ‘ease of doing business.’” It added, “The industry would like development policies to be predictable and consistent to usher in fresh investments as well as to protect the efforts and hardships that go into establishing an industrial setup.”

Bangladesh: The Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association (BCMA) has suggested the removal a 3% non-refundable advance income tax (AIT) and a 3% import duty on raw materials, as well as the reduction of a US$5.88/t import duty on clinker by 40% to US$3.53/t. The Dhaka Tribune newspaper has reported that BCMA members are struggling to pay their dues due to the impacts of the coronavirus lockdown, which caused the sector a loss of US$353m between 21 March 2020 and 21 June 2020.

BCMA President Mohammed Kabir said, “To generate taxes and revenue from this sector, the government should save our businesses and meet our logical demands in the final budget. We are really frustrated that our demands were unaddressed in the proposed budget. Our working capital will dwindle if the government keeps charging the AIT.” He added, “If the government does not remove the 3% non-adjustable AIT, then at least it should be declared as adjustable tax.”

UK: Cemex has joined the Aldersgate Group alliance of companies in calling on the UK government to support an economic recovery, “aligned with the UK’s climate and environmental goal.” In a policy briefing, the Aldersgate Group said that a low-carbon recovery plan should: address regional inequality and unemployment; strengthen the UK’s economic competitiveness and productivity through investment in the sectors and technologies of the future; deliver critical public goods including clean air, better health and improved resilience to future environmental shocks; build a more resilient financial system fit to withstand future climate shocks ;deliver the Global Britain agenda by strengthening the UK government’s influence ahead of the G7 and COP26 summits that it will be hosting in 2021; and enable UK businesses to be competitive providers of low carbon goods and services.

Cemex Europe director of public affairs Martin Casey said, “Our aim is to enable the development of climate-smart urban projects, sustainable buildings and climate-resilient infrastructures. Setting a clear policy direction for restarting the economy will enable to play its part in the recovery in a way that advances our climate and environmental goals.”

US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has lauded the introduction of a bill to reauthorise infrastructure spending until 2025 in the legislative assembly. Called the INVEST in America Act, the Democratic bill proposes to increase investment and shift towards more sustainable infrastructure and transport.

PCA president and chief executive officer (CEO) Mike Ireland said the boosts to funding, “are critically important as our nation deals with high unemployment and economic stagnation as result of the Covid-19 pandemic.” He added, “The PCA stands ready to work with Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate in delivering a robust and bipartisan surface transportation reauthorisation bill.”