Beirut (APD) - The Iraqi ministry of industry and minerals asked international companies to invest in upgrading the country's 17 cement plants which would cost $440 million, the Amman-based al Ghad daily reported Thursday.
Officials in the ministry told a conference in Amman that Iraq is currently producing 6.5 million tons of cement per year but is only meeting 32.5% of local demand.
"Iraq will need around 25 million tons of cement in the coming years in order to meet the demand for the three million residential units that will be built," said Haifa Abdul Hamid, general manager of the investment department at the ministry.
"The 17 existing plants are only producing at 40% of their nominal capacities of around 16 million tons per year. They are suffering from the lack of electricity supply and outmoded machineries," Hamid added.
The ministry hosted a session in the conference program of the third International Rebuild Iraq Exhibition, a trade fair that had started on Monday.
Last February, the ministry said that it would offer 25% stakes in two cement plants for privatization, Singar Cement in northern Iraq and Kufa Cement in the Wasat province.
Iraq is currently importing cement from Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Kuwait and China.
By Nadim Issa, APD Staff Writer in Beirut
© APD (Arab Press Digest) 2006
