Imported cement at controlled price soon

By L. S. A. Wedaarachchi

[email protected]

Imported cement will be available in the local market soon at the controlled price.

The International Cement Tenders which were called by the Trade Ministry was awarded to a leading cement exporter and manufacturer in Pakistan on Friday, said the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Marketing Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Services Dr. R. M. Ratnayake.

A bag of cement can be sold at the controlled price of Rs. 692.50 with a reasonable profit margin.

Cement producers and traders should not expect huge profits which is harmful to society. No Government can permit that, he said. According to the Secretary the Government placed an order to import 120,000 metric tons of cement."The request by the cement producers and cement bagging companies to increase the price of a bag of cement is not reasonable.

The Government called for tenders from, India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia to supply cement to overcome the scarcity and the price hike, he said.The Government sells imported cement at the controlled price having paid the Government taxes. If the taxes are exempted a bag of cement can be sold at Rs. 200 less than the controlled price, he said.

The International Cement Tender was the first tender handled by the State Trading Wholesale Company Ltd (STWCL) set up recently by the Ministry of Trade.

STWCL was established to help the State sector to enter the wholesale trade market through a Parliamentary Act.