Displaying items by tag: Government

Egypt: The Egyptian Chemical Industries Company (Kima) plans to sell the land belonging to National Cement within the next year. Chief executive officer (CEO) Emad el-Din Mostafa said that the bankrupt cement producer owns over 300 hectares of land, according to Arab Finance. Selling the assets is part of the Ministry of Public Business Sector’s strategy to pay the former cement producer’s debts including worker salaries. The sale is expected to generate up to US$39m.

India: The Industries Department of Himachal Pradesh is planning to re-advertise the tender for a white cement plant project at Sikridhar in the Chamba district. The state government received no bids for the project in the last round of bidding, according to the Tribune newspaper. Only ACC expressed any interest in the process by buying the big papers.

The local government wants the project to be awarded by May 2019 and it is expected to cost around US$138m. The project is a long running scheme that was first suggested in 2002.

Honduras: President Juan Orlando Hernández has asked local cement producers to offer cement at a discount for use in government projects. The government and the two main producers have formed a commission to determine how to implement the request, according to La Tribuna newspaper. However, Juan Carlos Sikaffy, the head of the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP), descirbed the issue as ‘delicate’ given the taxes the cement companies pay and the jobs they create.

Myanmar: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MNREC) is seeking expressions of interest from foreign and local investors to run a feasibility project ahead of building a new cement plant at Hakha Township in Chin State. Early studies suggest that the area has sufficient limestone reserves to support a 5000t/day plant, according to the Myanmar Times newspaper. A new unit in the region is expected to boost the local economy as Chin State has no cement plants.

Ghana: The Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana (CMAG) has praised the introduction of the country’s first building code. The Building Code for Ghana was launched by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia in late October 2018, according to the Ghana Multimedia Group. The 1700-page document, in 38 sections, covers all essential areas for the operation of the building and construction industry. The production and launch of the code is intended to end irregularities in the building and construction sector and set standards to ensure that local construction is safe and meets international standards.

“Today is a very significant day in the annals of the history of this country. For the first time ever, through the collaborative efforts of different agencies, Ghana has a comprehensive Building Code. The Ghana Building Code, GS1207 of 2018 is a document that is long overdue but which has finally been delivered,” said Bawumia. He added that the code would reassure people about the risk of collapsing buildings.

Spain: The Ministry of Industry and two unions have asked Cemex to keep the Gádor cement plant in Almería open. However, the Mexican cement company has rejected the pleas although it has said it will make a ‘definitive’ decision shortly, according to the Expansión newspaper. The company is due to start mandatory consultations with the unions in early November 2018. Cemex announced in mid-October 2018 that it was closing two of its seven cement plants in the country.

Philippines: The Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) has rejected any move to impose tariffs on cement imports, as this will only increase construction costs. The PCA said that imposition of safeguard measures would ‘adversely’ affect customers, according to the Philippines News Agency. In a position paper it has argued that cement imports counteract alleged price rises from cartel-like behaviour. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) started an investigation into cement imports in September 2018 amid reports of declining revenue from local producers.

Laos: The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has ordered regional departments of industry and commerce to stop issuing import licences for cement and steel. Instead, imports of these products will be regulated by customs officials at border crossings, according to the Vientiane Times newspaper. The move is intended to improve the efficiency of business operations in the country as part of an on-going import and export plan to 2020.

Republic of Congo: The Congolese Ministry of Industry says that it is ready to inaugurate the Diamond cement plant. The new plant is located in the district of Mindouli, about 200km south of Brazzaville, according to Agence de Presse Africaine. The 0.1Mt/yr unit started production in early 2018 at a cost of around US$100m. The project had previously been delayed by four years due to local security issues. The plant will be the fifth cement plant in the country and will bring local cement production capacity to over 3.0Mt/yr.

Senegal: The Ministry of Commerce has fixed a maximum price of cement to protect consumers. The ministry said it had made the decision following exports of a rise of the price of cement in early October 2018, according to the L'Agence de Presse Sénégalaise. The minister said that he invited all cement plant in the country to comply with the new regulations.