Ethiopia lifts import ban it laid on cements

By Tesfa-alem Tekle

June 18, 2008(ADDIS ABABA) – five months after imposed ban, Ethiopian authorities on Wednesday have announced to lift an import ban laid on cement following the high increase of cement price.

The ban was placed on February this year to protect local cement industries, and the decision was reversed to tackle the increase hikes in cement price in the country.

Accordingly, the government has allowed private companies to import cement to the country without paying duty to counter balance high demand but increasing price of construction cements.

In recent years Ethiopia’s construction across the country has boomed to a very high level putting a huge demand on cement.

Ethiopia’s three cement factories, Mugher, Messebo and National Cement currently produce 1.7 million tones of cement annually.

The Ethiopian Minster of Trade and Industry, Girma Biru, told journalists that the government would surpass its target at the end of the plan year, with a projected production of 9.1 million tones per annum.

Over the past few weeks, the price of a 100kg bag of cement show a 10 dollar increase, from $30 to US $40, resulting to the suspension of booming construction projects in the capital Addis Ababa and other major towns while the factory price stood at US $17.

(ST)