Ethiopian Review

The Government has started importing cement worth 44 million dollars to avoid interruptions to major construction projects. The move comes after two big cement factories, Mugher and Mesobe, were ordered to renovate their factories due to the shortage of electric power.
The Government has been taking the action with a view to making the construction sector more sustainable, Government officials at the Ministry of Works and Urban Development (MOWUD) and Merchandise Wholesale and Import Trade Enterprise (MEWIT) said on Monday.
These officials said that two million quintals of cement is being imported to meet May and June’s cement demands.
The officials said the product is to be distributed for users through MEWIT, a public institution engaged in merchandise wholesale trade by purchasing commodities from within and out-side the country with the purpose of stabilizing domestic markets.
The Government was bullish on a possible gap between demand and supply in the cement market, as construction companies are faced with a shortage of electric power, and the Government has already allocated the 44 million dollar to import cement, said Amare Asgedom, an official at the ministry.
An Official with MEWIT, Atsbeha Gebreyohannes also said the enterprise has prepared the necessary transportation system to deliver the product as soon as possible.
It has also carried out procurement of heavy trucks recently, with some 600 heavy duty trucks having already arrived in Ethiopia, he added.
According to the officials, the demand for cement is showing a 25 percent annual increase.
The enterprise is to distribute a quintal of cement at 250 birr for licensed resident builders, contractors and real-estate developers.

By Groum Abate | (Capital)