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Nigerian government looks into complaints about quarry at Lafarge Africa’s Ewekoro plant 19 November 2018
Nigeria: The Federal Government says it is investigating complaints from residents at Akinbo village near to the quarry of Lafarge Africa’s Ewekoro cement plant in Ogun State. Local residents have complained about breeches of local environmental legislation at the site, according to the Vanguard newspaper. Adegboyega Salam, the Director of Mines Environmental Compliance Department from the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, said that the issue was related to relocation of the community. He added that he had asked Lafarge Africa for comment. The dispute relates to an agreement between the cement producer and the local community in 2012.
Ghorahi Cement lauded for tax return 19 November 2018
Nepal: Ghorahi Cement has been praised by the Inland Revenue Department for paying one of the highest amount of value added tax (VAT) in the country in the 2017 – 2018 financial year, according to the Himalayan Times. The cement producer was awarded the accolade as part of the seventh National Tax Day.
Portland Cement Association forecasts ebbing growth in 2019 and 2020 16 November 2018
US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) forecasts that cement consumption growth will drop to 2.6% in 2019 and 1.6% in 2020. This compares to 2.9% in 2018. The PCA’s Market Intelligence Group has blamed the softening on rising interest rates, local financial problems at the state level and a general end to the recovery period following the financial crash in 2008.
“We are expecting relatively modest but sustained interest rate increases after 10 years of low and stable rates,” said PCA Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Ed Sullivan. “The Federal Reserve’s actions will gradually slow the construction sector’s growth due to, among other things, the higher mortgage rates for residential buildings and higher borrowing cost for non-residential buildings.” He added that tax cuts passed at the end of 2017 had boosted the overall economy but that rising debt levels was likely to frame the discussion of future federal public infrastructure spending.
Cemento Regional buys modular grinding plant from Cemengal for project in El Salvador 16 November 2018
El Salvador: Guatamala’s Cemento Regional has ordered a Plug&Grind modular grinding unit for a project in El Salvador. The project includes a Plug&Grind Classic, a modular packaging and palletising system, raw material and cement storage halls and silos for bulk dispatching. The new unit is scheduled to be commissioned in the first half of 2019. It will have a production capacity of 12t/hr.
Industry pans levy as a new import tax in Australia 16 November 2018
Australia: Industry groups, including cement producers, are lobbying against a new import tax, the Biosecurity Imports Levy. They allege that that new tariff will increase costs by 3000 - 5000% on the inputs for cement, steel and aluminium production, according to the Australian newspaper. The new levy was introduced in the May 2018 budget for implementation in July 2019. It intends to tighten the country’s biosecurity.
Industry lobbyists complain that it will impose a US$0.7/t levy on ‘non-containerised’ cargo for biosecurity inspections, dramatically increasing the cost of inspection for bulk imports of materials. They also deny that it will improve biosecurity outcomes.
Cement Industry Federation chief executive Margie Thomson said that the tax unfairly punished non-containerised cargoes. “It shouldn’t be a tonnage levy, when the biosecurity risk is notassociated with the product.”