Displaying items by tag: Government
Armenia: Tigran Khachatryan, the Minister of Economic Development and Investments, says that the government is considering adding clinker to a list of goods subject to import duties. A tariff of around Euro40/t could be introduced for a year until April 2020, according to the ARMINFO News Agency. This would be similar to proposed duties on imported cement.
The measures are intended to protect local cement production. Khachatryan noted that imports from Iran could be up to a third of the price of locally manufactured cement due to cheaper energy supplies and state subsidies.
Chinese joint ventures boost Tajik cement production
16 April 2019Tajikistan: The Ministry of Industry and New Technologies (MOINT) says that Tajik-Chinese joint ventures Chzhungtsai Mohir Cement, Huaxin Gayur Cement, and Huaxin Gayur Sughd Cement accounted for nearly 85% of local cement production in the first three months of 2019. Overall production grew by 9% year-on-year to 0.84Mt from 0.75Mt in the same period in 2018, according to the Asia-Plus News Agency. Around 36% of production was exported with more than 150,000t of cement to Uzbekistan, more than 140,000t of cement to Afghanistan and nearly 12,000t of cement to Kyrgyzstan. Tajikistan has 13 cement plants with a total production capacity of 4.7Mt/yr.
Matsiloje Portland Cement unlikely to reopen without government support for block on imports
16 April 2019Botswana: Rachit Josh, the managing director of Matsiloje Portland Cement, say that the company will struggle to reopen without government support to block imports. The cement producer closed its plant at Matsiloje, near Francistown in January 2018, according to the Monitor newspaper. Josh blamed cement imports from South Africa as being a particular concern.
In June 2018 the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment said it was starting to introduce restrictions on imports restricting imports to 70% locally sourced product. However, it is unclear when these measures will be implemented.
Matsiloje Portland Cement is a subsidiary of Nortex Group. Its integrated plant had a production capacity of 30,000t/yr. The company produced the lime it used for its cement and it sourced other raw materials from South Africa and fly ash from a power station at Morupule.
Philippines: Ramon Lopez, the secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), says that a suggested retail price (SRP) for cement is not a priority following the introduction of tariffs in imports. He added that prices had barely changed since the safeguard duty started in February 2019, according to the Manila Times newspaper. The Tariff Commission is currently considering whether to add additional tariffs to cement imports. A public hearing is set on for early May 2019 where it may extend the import duties.
Bolivia: SEDEM, the government’s business development agency, has refuted accusations that a new cement plant being built in Caracollo, Oruro does not have enough water or raw materials. Patricia Ballivián, the general manager of SEDEM, presented reports from PricewaterhouseCoopers and C & C Ingeniería y Procesos defending the supplies to the unit. The reports were released in response to accusations by a local politician that the project had been poorly planned.
The reports revealed that the Empresa Publica Productiva Cementos de Bolivia’s (ECEBOL) plant will recycle the industrial portion of its water supply. It will have a supply of 4l/s and a 3.5Ml reservoir. It also has limestone, gypsum and clay reserves sufficient for the production of 100Mt of cement. These are expected to last the plant 60 years.
Elektroprivreda Srbije builds river terminal in Serbia
09 April 2019Serbia: Elektroprivreda Srbije, a government-owned power company, has completed a Euro14m terminal on the River Danube for its Kostolac B coal-fired power plant. The unit will be use to transport 105,000t/yr of synthetic gypsum and 157,000/yr of fly ash. It will also process limestone. The terminal was built as part of the first phase of a credit arrangement between Serbia and China.
Uganda: Nicolas George, the managing director of Hima Cement, has warned that a US$250m new cement plant project may be relocated to Kenya due to difficulties in obtaining land in Uganda. He made the comments to the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters following complaints by local residents about the land purchase process, according to the Daily Monitor newspaper. The cement producer is trying to buy mineral rights in the Mwello Parish in Tororo District. Previously, it attempted to build a plant in Moroto.
George also alleged that the subsidiary of LafargeHolcim had repeatedly run up against ‘speculators with exploration licences’ with links to the Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines. He asked the government to cancel such licences within two years if the owners lacked the in financial resources to develop them.
The Gambia: Bai Lamin Jobe, the Minister of Trade, says that the country has a cement capacity utilisation rate of 23%. Local producers have a capacity of 1.9Mt/yr but national demand is only around 0.4Mt, according to the Foroyaa newspaper. He added that the country imported 0.39Mt in 2018 in answers to members of the National Assembly.
It was also revealed that Jah Multi Industries is building new silos at its import terminal. Jah Cement is also planning to upgrade its terminal into a grinding plant. Construction work started in 2018 and it is expected to be completed by late 2019.
Nepalese cement producers warn of new investment
01 April 2019Nepal: Dhruba Raj Thapa, president of Cement Manufacturer Association of Nepal (CMAN), has warned that the industry is worried about new investments in cement production given that the country has become self sufficient in the commodity. Clinker imports have stopped due to increased domestic production, according to the Republica newspaper. He added that cement produced locally is sufficient to meet local demand until 2029. He then warned that if investment in the sector continues producers might have to reduce their production capacity by half.
Data from the Department of Industries shows that 114 cement factories, both government-owned and private, have been registered so far with an estimated investment of over US$1.8bn. However, Tara Prasad Pokharel, the general secretary of CMAN, said that only 68 registered industries are currently in operation.
Lebanon: Industry Minister Wael Abu Faour has revoked the license of the Al Arz Cement plant project. It follows protests by local residents, according to the Daily Star newspaper. A report by environmental non-government organisation (NGO) Green Globe ranked the region as the 11th most polluted area in the country due to quarrying and crusher activity. The cement plant project was launched in 2017 by entrepreneur Pierre Fattoush.