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Production disrupted at Invecem 30 March 2016
Venezuela: Production has been disrupted at the Industria Venezolana del Cemento (Invecem) cement plant due to a lack of raw materials. Despite this, a new 1Mt/yr production line at the plant was inaugurated on 3 March 2016. The upgrade cost US$168m according to the El Carabobeno newspaper. Other problems reported at the site include machine failures.
Krasnoyarsk Cement starts making road cement 30 March 2016
Russia: Krasnoyarsk Cement, a subsidiary of Siberian Cement, has started making Portland cement of CEM I type with strength class 42.5. The product is intended for the production of concrete for road and airfield paving, bridge structures and precast concrete elements for transport engineering. The material meets the requirements of GOST R 55224-2012 and GOST 30515-2013 state standards.
Ukraine: Ukrcement, the Ukranian association of cement producers, has urged government agencies to be more effective in preventing sales of packaged cement. A study by Ukrcement with the NGO Union of Ukrainian Consumers has reportedly shown a rise in volumes of counterfeit product at large DIY retail chains.
"Ten samples [of packaged cement] were bought in several DIY supermarkets in Kyiv during the third phase of the project in early 2016. The conclusion is that the situation with counterfeit cement has been worsening. Violations have been revealed in all the chains," said Ukrcement CEO Roman Skylsky. "We insist on toughening oversight over the quality of cement programs and punishment for the sale of counterfeit products."
Italy: Italian economic development minister Federica Guidi is scheduled to meet with Bernd Scheifele, CEO of HeidelbergCement, to discuss its acquisition of Italcementi. The transaction has been closely followed by the minister since its announcement and Guidi had already met Scheifele in the early stages of the process, according to the Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper. HeidelbergCement had asked for more time to complete competition requirements at the European level before this latest meeting.
Pakistan: The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) has led demands that the government abolish the gas infrastructure development cess (tax) (GIDC) because it has made Pakistan-produced cement uncompetitive for export. APCMA chairman Mohammad Ali Tabba said that declining fuel prices, including liquefied natural gas in the international markets, had added to the situation, according to local press.
The Pakistan government enacted the Gas Infrastructural Development Act of 2011 thereby charging a cess or levy on all non-domestic gas consumers. However, the tax has been resisted legally since that time with tussles over whether back taxes should be collected or not.
Tabba also added that a recent increase on the import duty from 1% to 6% on coal should be reduced to zero.