In Ghana, cement price is likely to continue rising and could surpass GHC60/bag by the end of the year if some taxes and levies are not reviewed or scrapped, announced cement manufacturers.

In the last seven months cement prices in have risen three times, amounting to a 27% rise and pushing retail prices to GHS50/bag.

Producers have had no choice but to absorb a lot of the costs to keep cement prices at their current level.

Raw material prices continue to rise and the scarcity of ship vessels or empty containers to transport goods globally has influenced freight costs for local cement importers.

Moreover, the freight price for clinker has increased by 55% in the first half of 2021, according to data from the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers. Among others, cement producers are also experiencing delays at ports incurring extra penalties of anchorage and demurrage.

In an interview with B&FT, Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers Ghana (COCMAG), Dr. George Dawson-Ahmoah, called on the government to react to this situation.

“Cement is a strategic economic asset that has national security implications, and therefore should not be allowed to behave as it is behaving. Government must intervene, and we have presented papers to some ministries to do something urgently,” he stated.