As Ghana’s cement manufacturing industry expands, there are calls to regulate the importation of inferior cement from China and some parts of Asia to protect the Ghanaian market.
Citi Business News has gathered that as Dangote cement prepares to offload thousand trucks from the Tema Port to commence production in Takoradi; Chinese manufacturers are also set to ‘flood’ the market with imported cement.
Speaking to Citi Business News, the Media Relations Manager of Dangote cement, Etornam Komla appealed to government to restrict the importation of some substandard cement from China to protect local companies in the country.
“As we speak now all the cement manufacturing companies that we have in Ghana such as Dangote, Diamond, GHACEM and the rest, all have the capacity to meet the local demand and we don’t need any importation from China,” he said.
According to him, government must enforce the rules to make sure cement imported into the country meets the standards prescribed by the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA).
He stated that the move if enforced by government will also protect the construction industry.
“Anytime government want to allow any import of cement into the Ghanaian market we should be sure that it meets the basic standard of quality service,” he said.
He warned that if the products are allowed just because they are cheap, it will have an adverse effect on the industry and the construction sector.
He was of the view that placing a ban on imported cement now will help prevent an influx of fake cement that may collapse the industry.
Citing the textile sector as an example, Mr. Komla maintained that a similar development was allowed to happen in the textile industry where fake Chinese textile flooded, leading to the collapse of local companies.
“We allowed a similar thing to happen in the textile industry and today most of our local textile companies are struggling. All that we are saying is that the local companies can meet the demand and there is competition which i think will lower price and benefit the Ghanaian,” he said.
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By:Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
