26 April 2017
Qatar National Cement Company (QNCC) has decided to reduce the factory price for its various cement products. The new rates came into effect on Tuesday, the company said. QNCC general manager Mohamed Ali al-Sulaiti said the board of directors at its meeting in Doha on Tuesday decided to introduce discounted prices for cement produced by the company "as part of its keenness to increase its participation in the local market and develop the construction sector in the country."

The meeting was presided over by company chairman Salem bin Butti al-Naimi. 

Accordingly, the loose regular cement would be sold at the factory for QR230 a tonne (QR250 earlier), the resistant cement QR250 a tonne (QR270 earlier), QR11 for the bag of regular cement (QR13 earlier), and QR12 for the bag of resistant cement (QR14 earlier).

However, al-Sulaiti pointed out that prices would not change for the other products of the company, according to the board's decision. 

He said that the credit period would be increased from 30 to 90 days to keep up with the updates of the market and increase the cement production. 

Besides, the new mills (number 6 and 7) at the cement factory (no 5) would be operational with a daily production capacity of 5,500 tonnes, making the overall production capacity up to around 20,000 tonnes a day. 

It is expected that all the equipment and machines of the factory would be operational during the last quarter of this year, QNCC said.
Earlier, at the company's annual general meeting in Doha last month, QNCC had said its production in both categories of cement (OPC and SRC) reached 3.7mn tonnes in 2016 compared to the 3.8mn tonnes in the previous year. 

The production of washed sand increased to 8.8mn tonnes last year compared to 7.8mn tonnes in 2015. Calcium carbonate production increased to 37,400 tonnes compared to 37,000 tonnes.

Sales of all types of cement reached 3.7mn tonnes in 2016 against 3.8mn in 2015. Washed sand sales increased to 8.1mn tonnes compared to 7.7mn tonnes in 2015. Sales of calcium carbonate amounted to 36,000 tonnes last year and in 2015, a QNCC report showed.

© Gulf Times 2017