Months after the passage of the Ghana Standards Authority’s Manufacture of Cement Regulation, 2023, (L.I. 2480), industry players are yet to comply with the law despite notices by the Ministry of Trades and Industry aiming to enforce the law.
The Ministry of Trades and Industry following the passage of the law has issued two notices which have all been defied by the cement manufacturers deepening the ongoing rift between the regulator and the industry players.
The new LI mandates all existing cement manufacturing companies to re-register and obtain a license as part of the efforts to regulate and streamline the industry. The law also seeks to ensure that consumers are not exploited through high pricing by manufacturers.
But the law, since its inception through to its passage and implementation has met strong resistance by the cement manufacturers.
Despite repeated reminders by the Trades and Industry Minister, K. T. Hammond, not a single company has applied for the necessary license, according to Professor Alex Dodoo, Director-General of the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) and chair of the Cement Manufacturing Development Committee (CMDC).
He emphasized that cement producers operating without a license are now acting illegally, and those found in violation are subject to prosecution.
“Manufacturers have since the coming into force of this law have been encouraged to comply with two separate public notices in the Daily Graphic,” Prof. Dodoo said.
“The regulation also allows the production of cement at only approved places so we are protecting the environment and those who are in production at unapproved places would have to relocate to approved places to be able to get the license,” he added.
Now that the cement manufacturers continue to flout the directives of the minister, the rift between the two stakeholders continues to worsen. It is therefore unclear what the next action of the Minister will be in enforcing the regulations.
This growing rift between cement manufacturers and government officials could have major implications for Ghana’s construction industry. If the stalemate continues, the country could see a shortage of cement, leading to increased costs and delays in major construction projects.
