Mozambique: Singapore’s Compact Metal Industries has failed to buy a majority stake in a partially built cement plant at Salamanga, Bela Vista in Maputo Province. Compact Metal Industries was planning to pay US$30m for a 51% stake in the plant in a deal with SPI and Guhavam, according to the Business Times of Singapore newspaper. The arrangement would have also seen Compact Metal Industries settle the project’s debts to suppliers and contractors to a value of US$55m.
Supreme Court to hear pleas by cement producers as fine repayment schedule continues
India: The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea by cement producers about a charge of cartel-like behaviour made by real estate developers and upheld by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). However, the court has insisted that the payment schedule of the fine imposed will have to be upheld while the appeal proceeds, according to the Economic Times newspaper. The accused cement producers have been ordered to deposit 10% of the fine.
10 cement companies – including India Cements, Ramco Cements, Nuvoco Vistas Corporation, Ambuja Cement, ACC, Jaiprakash Associates, Century Textiles and Industries and UltraTech Cement – were accused by the Builders' Association of India and the CCI in 2010 of cartel-like behaviour. They were then fined US$905m or 0.5% of their net turnover. The producers first tried to appeal with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) but the tribunal dismissed their plea against the CCI finding in late July 2018.
Star Cement imports fly ash via Bangladesh
India: Star Cement has imported over 1200t of fly ash from NTPC Kahalgaon in Bihar. The ash was transported by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) via Bangladesh to Pandu Port in Assam, according to the Financial Express newspaper. The water route was chosen due to a lack of railway links in India's north-eastern states.
Ecebol Oruro cement plant preparing to open in February 2019
Bolivia: Victor Hugo, the governor of Oruro, says that Empresa Publica Productiva Cementos de Bolivia’s (ECEBOL) is preparing to open its new 1.5Mt/yr cement plant at Caracollo in February 2019. Hugo told the La Patria newspaper that the unit was 98% complete. Over US$300m has been spent on the project.
