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.