Qatar: Cement shortage temporary: Officials |
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Doha: The numerous construction projects, especially those related to Asiad 2006 infrastructures, have led to a cement shortage which officials say is a temporary shortcoming that would be solved soon.
The Ministry of Trade and Commerce is to convene this week a meeting with ready-mix companies, importers and Qatar National Cement CompanyQatar National Cement Company
to try and find a solution to the problem, sources said. Mohammed Al Suleiti, General Manager of Qatar National Cement CompanyQatar National Cement Company
held responsible the concerned competent authorities for the shortage, saying it was the result of lack of plans or studies on upcoming construction and expansion projects. And by not informing cement companies of these projects caught them unprepared. He said in a remarks to Al Sharq daily that the shortage would be overcome in few days after it has been agreed on importing approximately 20,000 tonnes of cement a week from India in addition to 1,000 tonnes a day from neighbouring countries to make up for the shortage.
But Mohammed Al Suleiti denied his company was monopolising the cement trade, saying the market was opened to all and that many companies shun import of cement due to high costs.
He said one tonne of cement costs QR220 in Saudi Arabia, QR200 in UAE, QR250 in Kuwait and QR250 in Bahrain, while cement from QNCC is priced at QR160.
He also pointed out that QNCC has produced 1.2 million tonnes to date this year by increasing the company’s production capacity, but that it is capable of producing up to 1.5 million tonnes for remaining months of 2003.
However, Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice-Chairman, Abdel Aziz Al Emadi said that the contracting committee affiliated to the chamber was doing its best to co-ordinate with competent authorities to solve the problem, although the chamber did not receive any complaints from companies or contractors on cement crisis.
He pointed out that the problem could be solved quickly by importing cement from neighbouring countries.
A major cement dealer also confirmed the shortage, noting that his daily supply of cement from QNCC has dropped from eleven truck loads to only seven. Each truck is loaded with 800 bags of 50 kilogrammes each, leading to reduced quantity supplied to customers, he said, but that he would not import it due to high costs of transport.
Sheikh Salman Bin Jabor Al Thani, Executive Manager of Al Jabor Cement Company that cover 30 per cent of the local market needs was of the opinion that Qatari market did not face cement shortage, but rather a temporary shortage of production.
However, he said the problem was caused by government establishments and not producing companies, since there is an absence of programme beforehand for tenders on projects or a list of projects to be implemented in the next two to three years.
He said that major projects are usually announced at short notice and that the lack of co-ordination between ministries and contractors and producers is bound to lead to problems.
© The Peninsula 2003
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