Stakeholders in the cement value-chain call for more consultation

Stakeholders
in
the
cement
value-chain
have
asked
to
be
consulted
on
the
proposed
law
seeking
to
regulate
cement
pricing.

They
made
this
call
after
an
engagement
with
the
Cement
Manufacturing
Development
Committee,
(CMDC)
under
the
Ghana
Standards
Authority,
(GSA)
on
July
2,
2024
in
Accra.

The
engagement
was
to
sensitize
cement
manufacturers
on
the
new
legal
regime
for
regulation
of
the
manufacture
of
cement
in
Ghana
(LI-2480),
and
to
hear
their
concerns
on
the
proposed
Legislative
Instrument
aimed
at
regulating
cement
prices.

Member
of
the
Cement
Manufacturing
Development
Committee,
Prof.
Mark
Bediako
addressing
the
media
after
the
engagement
contends
that
“the
cement
producers
have
actually
seen
that
this
LI
is
going
to
protect
their
industry.”

The
stakeholders
maintained,
though
the
LI
has
been
laid
before
Parliament,
they
want
it
to
be
made
available
for
their
input
before
it
is
passed.

“The
mere
fact
that
we’ve
not
had
engagement
is
not
the
issue.
It
is
what
is
in
it,
the
content.
If
for
example,
there
hasn’t
been
engagement
and
then
the
LI
comes
and
is
so
easy
to
comply,
is
consistent
with
industry
practice,
is
consistent
with
international
and
best
practices,
and
it
does
not
in
any
way
cripple
industry
and
rather
helps
industry
to
move
forward
in
this
transparency
and
arrangement,
why
would
we
complain?”
Chief
Executive
Officer
for
the
Association
of
Ghana
Industries,
Seth
Twum-Akwaboah
told
the
media.

Meanwhile,
CEO
of
Ghana
Chamber
of
Construction
Industry,
Emmanuel
cherry
noted
that
“Now
that
the
LI
has
been
laid,
in
as
much
as
we
don’t
have
what
exactly
the
content
is
all
about,
we
are
waiting.

We
have
been
promised
here
today
by
the
chairperson
of
the
committee
that
they
are
going
to
make
the
copy
available
for
us
and
then
they
are
ever
ready
to
engage
us
which
is
a
plus.
So
as
industry
players,
our
doors
are
widely
open,
and
we
welcome
this
particular
open
discussion.”

The
law
seeking
to
regulate
prices
of
cement
was
laid
in
parliament
on
July
2,
2024
by
the
Minister
for
Trade
and
Industry,
K.T
Hammond
despite
resistance
by
some
members
of
Parliament
and
industry
players.