Committee to regulate cement industry in the offing

The Ministry of Trade and Industry says it will set up a committee to spearhead the drafting of policies to regulate the country’s cement industry.

This has become necessary to ensure regulation of their activities and help develop a better cement production industry.

Speaking at a media briefing in Koforidua, a Deputy Trade and Industry Minister, Michael Okyere Baafi, said that the government is also working with the cement manufacturers in the area of cement development business in Ghana.

“We met them, the cement manufacturers, last week. We are going to set up a committee, a committee that will comprise the members of the Ministry of Trade and Industry,” he added.

The Chamber of Cement Manufacturers, Ghana, protested the reduction in benchmark value from 50 percent to 30 percent by the government, saying it would result in high production cost and affect cement prices.

According to the Chamber, the local cement industry is already suffering from high production cost as a result of the increase in the cost of limestone, clinker, duties, transport/fuel increase, springing up of new cement factories and instability of the cedi against the major currencies with the dollar.

Regulating the activities of scrap dealers

Touching on the issue of scraps, Mr Okeyere Baafi also disclosed that his outfit was on the verge of developing a policy document for scrap dealers in the country.

“We will also be meeting scrap dealers on two issues, to also set a committee to start the discussions in the area of scraps. We have realised that most of them are now targeting scraps because there is no proper regulation; there is no policy. Anybody at all can run in town, when they see iron rods anywhere, they take it away. This is not right, so we need to have policies to regulate it on what to do and what not to do; so, we are working with them,” the Deputy Minister said.