Displaying items by tag: Government
Minister inaugurates Ain El Kebira cement plant
06 January 2017Algeria: Abdesslam Bouchouareb, the Minister of Industry and Mining, has inaugurated the second production unit at the Ain El Kebira (SCAEK) cement plant near Setif. The new unit will have a cement production capacity of 2Mt/yr, according to the Algerian Press Service. The plant is controlled by the government backed Groupe Industriel des Ciments d'Algérie (GICA).
Bouchouare announced that the 1.5Mt/yr Adrar cement plant is due to be commissioned by April 2017 and the 2Mt/yr Chlef plant by October 2017. He added that national cement production is expected to increase by 5.5Mt/yr in 2017, allowing Algeria to export its surplus by early 2018.
Cross River state secures licences to set up cement plant
05 January 2017Nigeria: The government of Cross River state has secured operational licenses from the Federal Government to build its own cement plant and limestone quarry in the Akamkpa region of the state. George O’Ben-Etchi, Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, made the announcement following a meeting with the Solid Minerals Development Board, according to the Daily Trust newspaper. The plant and quarry are intended to compliment the state’s Superhighway project.
US: The Center for Biological Diversity, a non-government agency, has described plans to give Mitsubishi Cement a 120-year permit to mine limestone from a new quarry in San Bernardino National Forest in southern California as ‘unreasonable.’ Ileene Anderson, a senior scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity, made the comment on the basis that local flora and fauna would be adversely affected by the decision, according to the San Bernardino Sun newspaper. The US Forest Service and the County of San Bernardino are seeking comment on the proposal until 1 February 2017.
The new quarry will be located on public land abutting Mitsubishi Cement’s existing quarries at the site. It will serve the nearby Lucerne Valley cement plant.
Sinoma subsidiary ordered to pay back US$8.3m tax rebate
04 January 2017China: Sinoma Hanjiang Cement, a subsidiary of China National Materials Company (Sinoma), has been ordered to pay back a US$8.3m tax rebate by the Tax Office of Hantai District, Hanzhong City in Shaanxi. A notice issued by the office said that the cement producer failed to meet the requirements for the rebate, according to ET Net News agency. The office decided to disqualify Sinoma Hanjiang from the entitlement due to its policies regarding rebate and exemption of value-added tax for products and labour services involving comprehensive utilisation of resources. Sinoma said that the extra cost is expected to decrease its profit in 2016.
Labour ministry comments on Greek cement worker ruling by European Court of Justice
22 December 2016Greece: The Labour Ministry has said that a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling on a group dismissal of workers by the Heracles General Cement Company in 2013 has supported the government’s position on the issue. The ministry has defended its current legislation on mass layoffs, saying that it should be modified not abolished, according to the Athens News Agency.
"We must first clarify that the court's decision does not concern the existing restrictions on mass dismissals, which are absolutely compatible with community law. The court's ruling is confined to the issue of the administrative advance approval of dismissals and the criteria taken into account by Greek authorities to make these decisions," said the labour ministry in a statement. It added that the ruling found that the Greek government was allowed to block mass layoffs under European Union law in certain circumstances.
Mineral Products Association welcomes new UK procurement guidelines
22 December 2016UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has welcomed the government’s publication of new procurement guidance including construction materials like cement. The government plans to use local construction materials in infrastructure projects across 18 separate projects by 2020, including rail and roads, and construction such as building and housing refurbishment.
This announcement also follows the new National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline, which set out nearly Euro600bn worth of planned private and public investment, and changes to procurement guidance announced by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy to make it easier for UK producers to plan and bid for upcoming government contracts.
The MPA is working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Crown Commercial Service to develop government guidance for local procurement for cement and concrete. This will extend beyond the current guidance for designers which advises the use of BES6001 to specify responsibly and ethically sourced concrete and masonry.
“Cement and concrete are essential for UK infrastructure development and housing, and contribute significantly to the UK economy. We welcome this announcement from Greg Clark MP, which re-confirms the government’s commitment to infrastructure capital expenditure, and supports the future of a local cement industry. The cement and concrete industries employ 18,179 people across the regions, including in rural areas, and are key enablers for the Industrial Strategy,” said Nigel Jackson, chief executive of the MPA.
Europe: Cembureau, the European Cement Association, has raised concerns that amendments submitted by the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, which foresee in an introduction of a Border Adjustment Measure (BAM) with the loss of free allowances for the cement sector in Phase IV of European Union (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), starting in 2020, will be detrimental to the local cement industry. The association is concerned that the changes unduly affect the cement industry, although lime, brick and tile industry have been included also.
The association described included that a BAM against certain but not all sectors as 'discriminatory and legally flawed.' It raised the problems that the policy would bring for the competitiveness of the cement industry both globally and internally. It also blamed the influence of reports by non-government agencies upon policymakers.
Environmental campaign group Sandbag defended the changes as ones that could put a stop to the, ‘cement sector’s windfall profits from the ETS.’ It argued that the proposed import inclusion carbon mechanism would expand the scope of the ETS to
include imported materials for a number of sectors, meaning that products sold in the EU would face the same costs for carbon compliance, regardless of their origin.
"In a number of ways, this proposal marks a huge step forward in the evolution of the ETS. The proposed border adjustment measures are a good starting point for levelling the playing field for all cement producers," said Wilf Lytton, Industrial Carbon Researcher at Sandbag.
Dangote strikes gas deal with Tanzania
12 December 2016Tanzania: Nigeria’s Dangote Cement has struck a deal with the government-run Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) to supply gas to its cement plant. Company chairman Aliko Dangote met with President John Magufuli on 10 December 2016 to negotiate the agreement, according to Reuters. The agreement follows a dispute between Dangote and the TPDC over the price of gas. Magufuli said that Dangote could now buy gas directly from TPDC. No price details were released. In late November 2016 Dangote’s representative in the country denied that a stoppage at its plant was related to high production costs.
EAM, Mamba and Sungura to enter cement industry in Tanzania
09 December 2016Tanzania: EAM, Mamba and Sungura are planning to invest in the cement industry. Industry, Trade and Investment Minister Charles Mwijage said that the companies have all requested to enter the industry at the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair, according to the Tanzanian Daily News. EAM wants to build a 3Mt/yr plant in the Tanga region on condition that the government lets it export cement internationally. It has also requested other conditions that are in discussion with the government. Mamba and Sungura are also in discussion with the government regarding their projects.
Demonetisation halves cement demand in November 2016
09 December 2016India: Demonetisation of high value Indian rupee currency notes reduced cement demand by 45 – 50% in November 2016. Demand for cement fell across regions with the central region including Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh suffering the least, according to the Hindu newspaper. The decline has hit the industry when it was expecting an increase in demand stimulated by infrastructure development following the monsoon season.
A slowdown in real estate activity has particularly affected the cement industry as the majority of cement in the country is used by the realty sector. RP Gupta, chairman and managing director of Shiva Cement, said that contractors are finding it difficult to make cash payments for buying raw materials such as sand, bricks and stones as well as paying wages. Cement companies are reportedly trying to help dealers install bank or credit card payment machines to reduce cash-based transactions.