Business
Jamodu, Others Warn FG On Cement Importation
Chief Kola Jamodu, President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the Federal Government to resist the attempt by some importers to continually flood the market with imported cement.
Jamodu told newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos that the government must resist pressures to truncate the set target of exceeding local demand by 2011.
According to him, government should not agree to the ruse that the price of cement is on the rise.
He said the country would soon get to a level where it should not allow all manners of imports.
“It is on record that the country will achieve 28 million tonnes of cement production by 2011 as against local demand of about 18 million tonnes.
“All things being equal, supply will be more than demand and that will force down the price of cement,’’ he said.
According to him, the local industry needs protection to achieve the desired target instead of allowing imports to saturate the market.
Jamodu urged the government to have the political will to vigorously implement the policy which was designed to phase out imports.
Mr Jagat Rathee, the Managing Director of Obajana Cement Plc, agreed with Jamodu, adding that the country had abundant resources to be self-sufficient in cement production.
According to Rathee, the Dangote group has the capacity to produce 60 per cent of the country’s requirement, but the poor condition of roads and power had posed serious challenges.
Mr Sola Adeyemi, Plant Manager, Larfage Nigeria Plc, noted that the price of cement would have dropped drastically in 2010 but the deplorable roads, among others, had hindered the effort.
Dr Emmanuel Ukpabi, Group Managing Director of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, said that the company spent huge sums on haulage annually to get goods to consumers.
“A trailer can only make a trip to up north once a week instead of three trips per week. The trucks incur wear and tear because of bad roads,’’ he said.
According to him, the initial agreement with the Nigeria Railway Corporation to buy five locomotives to aid the movement of cement had not worked due to government bureaucracy.
NAN reports that a bag of cement sells for between N1,600 and N1,620 in Lagos and Ogun states.
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