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Government to liberalize production,
selling of cement
Begoro (ER), Jan. 23, GNA- The Government is to further
liberalize the production and selling of cement in the
country by granting import licenses to importers as a way of
beating down the soaring price of one of the vital
commodities in the country.
The Minister for Interior, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, who
announced this at a people's assembly at Begoro in the
Fanteakwa District of the Eastern Region on Monday, however,
kicked against suggestions for a price control policy to
help thaw the volatility of cement prices in Ghana.
According to Mr. Kan-Dapaah, it would not be prudent
re-introducing a price control policy in Ghana since such a
decision runs counter to the long-term interest of the
state.
Rather, government will promote more efforts aimed at
allowing private individuals and companies licenses to
import cement from wherever point in the world so long as
what is being brought in would be cheaper than the price
being offered currently.
A bag of cement currently costs 70,000 cedis in the southern
part of Ghana and 90,000 cedis in some parts of the Northern
parts of the country.
Contributors fail to see the need for the constant price
increases by GHACEM and Diamond cement, the two companies in
Ghana due to the largely acknowledged macro-economic
stability in the country.
They, in particular expressed misgivings about the prices of
cement which kept escalating despite the remarkable thawing
of inflation rate and the lowering
of base rate of the banks.
Responding, Mr. Kan-Dapaah said
Government was of the view that by allowing other players
into the sector other than the current two players, the
resultant competition would yield positive dividends to the
people.
The Interior Minister told them that Government was not
satisfied with the developments in that sector and as a
result, remedial steps would be taken this year to help
depress that market and help bring a semblance of stability.
GNA
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