Minister Demands For Gas Concession For Cement Manufacturers.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite says the gas concessions given to electricity companies should be extended to cement manufacturers as a means of addressing the hike in the price of the product.

The Minister, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Nura Rimi, said this during the investigative hearing by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Solid Minerals, Industry, Commerce and Special Duties, to probe the price increase.

Uzoka-Anite identified some of the challenges facing cement manufacturers to include cost of gas, high import duty on spare parts, bad road network, as well as high foreign exchange, and smuggling of cement to neighbouring nations.

The House of Representatives Committee Chairman, Gaza Gbewfi wondered why cement manufacturers were complaining about roads, when it is their activities that are largely responsible for the roads, adding  that, it was also a corporate social responsibility by the cement companies to ensure the maintenance of the roads, especially as there were incentives for them.

He directed the Ministry to make available its minutes with the cement manufacturers, a comprehensive report of all pioneer status issued to all the cement companies from Inception and list of the incentives available to them.