Ghana: Ministry on cement-trade-war alert

Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Ghana's Minister of Trade and Industries, says his Ministry is undertaking a thorough evaluation of various interests in the current trade-war between local cement manufacturers and importers. Local cement makers are claiming cement imports from Nigeria and China are flooding the market, thus making their businesses uncompetitive.

Dr Spio-Garbrah said the exercise, with references to price build-ups in other countries, should enable the ministry pronounce appropriately on the issue. He said any move by Ghana would be in conformity with international trade practices and sub-regional pacts.

The minister added that his department expects revenues that make up the shop price of imported cement as provided by the exporters to be transparent and argued that competition should make cement price a little cheaper than it is currently.

Tati Ramarao, general manager of Diamond Cement said that rival producer Dangote Cement transported by road through Aflao to Ghana selling at cheaper prices and other imports that had resulted in a drop in production at Diamond Cement from 5000 to 3000tpd.