HIGH cost of gas, high import duty on spare parts, bad road network, high foreign exchange and smuggling to neighbouring nations have been adduced as some of the challenges responsible for the high cost of cement in the country.
According to Cement Producers Association in Nigeria, these factors amounted to challenges confronting manufacturers.
The association disclosed this during their meeting with the Minister of Work, David Umahi and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka -Anite, on the escalating price of cement, in Abuja on Monday.
Cement manufacturers present at the meeting were the association’s president, Prince David Aweta; spokespersons of Dangote Cement Plc and GMD/CEO, Mr Arvind Pathak; Lafarge Africa Plc and Commercial Director, Mr Gbenga Onimowo and BUA Cement Plc and Group Executive Director, Mr Kabiru Rabiu.
In a communiqué signed by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Works, Orji Uchenna Orji, the manufacturers thanked the ministers for their sense of devotion to the cause of national development and expressed their confidence in the timely intervention of the Federal Government to the challenges facing cement manufacturing in Nigeria.
Reacting to the challenges as enumerated in the communiqué, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment promised to seek some remedies from the president on cost of gas and import duties.
On the issue of smuggling cement, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment said it will deepen the ongoing engagement with the National Security Adviser on how to stop the smuggling.
The Federal Ministry of Works is expected to give more attention to fixing of the roads, especially around the locations of the manufacturing companies.
