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Barbados government wants reduction in tariff on cement 13 November 2015
Barbados: The Barbados government has said that it stands by its decision to lower the 60% tariff rate on cement to protect Arawak Cement Limited (ACL), a subsidiary of Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL).
Commerce Minister Donville Inniss explained the rationale behind the government's decision, as both companies have expressed concerns over the decision to lower the tariff. Inniss said that the intent was not to cause any harm, but to help drive efficiencies in the system and to ensure consumers got a better price on the much-needed raw material. "We have our differences on the methodologies employed and the policies being pursued, but at the end of the day, we want to ensure that ACL remains a viable entity in Barbados," said Inniss.
Inniss said that he was supportive of the company's restructuring plans, as well as its efforts to bring its prices down, praising the company's commitment to increasing exports of Portland grey cement from Barbados. Earlier this week, ACL's Manager Rupert Greene said the company would announce the number of workers to be made redundant as part of the restructuring programme by the weekend. Greene said that at least 40 workers would be sent home and that discussions are continuing with the Barbados Workers Union (BWU) and the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW). Greene said that with a 65% drop in the Barbados market demand for cement over a 10-year period, there was a need to 'restore some balance to the equation.'
Holcim Romania to have new CEO soon 13 November 2015
Romania: Holcim Romania will announce its new Chief Executive Officer shortly, as its current CEO, French Francois Petry, was put in charge of Agreggates Industries, LafargeHolcim's operations in the UK, from 1 December 2015.
Petry has run Holcim Romania for almost two years. He took the helm of the company on 1 February 2014, after having run France's Aggregates division since 2008. Holcim Romania runs two cement plants, one grinding plant, 14 concrete stations, three aggregates stations, two special binders stations and one cement terminal. It employs around 800 people.
PT Semen Indoensia plans feasibility study for cement plant in Aceh 12 November 2015
Indonesia: PT Semen Indonesia is conducting a feasibility study in Aceh in connection with its plan to build a cement plant in Pidie, Aceh.
"Our partner is ready to build a cement plant in Aceh. We are now in the process of completing the feasibility study. The ground-breaking ceremony is expected to take place in 2016 if all the processes go well," said the company's President Director, Suparni. He noted that around US$257 – 294m will be invested to develop the 3Mt/yr cement plant, excluding the infrastructure cost. He added that the company will set up a joint venture for the project with a local company in which PT Semen Indonesia will later be the majority stockholder, with more than 70%. "It is forecast that the construction will be completed in 2019 - 2020," said Suparni.
The cement plant would target consumers in the eastern parts of Sumatra and North Sumatra, with a possibility of exporting some of its production to Myanmar, Malaysia, and Singapore. It will also target Bangladesh in view of the country's cement needs, which have so far only been met through imports. "Bangladesh only has one cement plant that cannot fully meet the country's demands. Around 85% of the country's needs are met through imports," said Suparni.
Suparni claimed that the efforts to boost exports will also be made following the completion of Semen Indonesia's 3Mt/yr Indarung VI plant in West Sumatra and a 3Mt/yr plant in Rembang, Central Java, in the third quarter of 2016.
McInnis Cement seeks tax stabilisation agreement to improve Providence Port building 12 November 2015
Canada/USA: McInnis Cement's plan to import cement through the Port of Providence, Rhode Island is scheduled for a hearing on 12 November 2015 at Providence City Hall on its request for tax incentives to improve its local facility.
McInnis USA, a subsidiary of Montreal-based McInnis Cement, has requested a 12-year tax stabilisation agreement for the property taxes it will pay on planned improvements to an industrial building at ProvPort. The company has requested a similar tax stabilisation agreement for tangible property taxes.
The site would be turned over to McInnis under a long-term lease, which would restore the facility as a taxable location. Under the property tax stabilisation agreement, the company would pay taxes of US$50,000 for the first three years. Full taxes would begin to be phased in in the fourth year, based on a projected assessment of US$5m. The full value of its Providence facility would be determined in the seventh year, after which full taxes would begin to be phased in.
McInnis Cement operates a limestone quarry in southern Quebec and is building a 2.2Mt/yr cement plant, as well as a maritime terminal, in Gaspesie, a town in Quebec, Canada.
La Unión Cement in court over 'sexist' adverts 11 November 2015
Spain: La Unión Cement has been accused of producing sexist advertising, including using bikini-clad women and close ups of cleavages, to sell its product, according to local media.
A court in Valencia is due to rule on the alleged sexist advertising after a lawsuit was filed against the building supplies company in October 2015 by the Madrid-based Institute of Women, part of the government's Ministry of Equality. It is the first time the Violence Against Women department of the public prosecutor's office has been part of a case of sexist advertising and it will rule alongside the department of trade on the case.
The lawsuit concerns various promotional videos for the cement company, which show scantily clad women for no apparent reason, according to the Institute of Women. "Our job is usually based on raising awareness of gender equality, but sometimes there are instances, such as this, when we are moved to take legal action," said the Institute´s Head of Communication, María Jesús Ortiz Gómez.
The prosecution has demanded that the cement company cease all allegedly sexist advertising and has also asked the court to ban any further usage of the images in question. The defence has argued that the images belong to an old campaign that is no longer running. La Unión has previously been keen to point out how much it prizes equality. "La Unión reaffirms its corporate vision in favour of the training of women and their inclusion in the company," it said in a press released dated August 2015. The company claims that it 'exceeds today´s standards of equality and gender parity.'