A top official at the Qatar National Cement Company claimed that Qatar’s consumption of cement is not hit by the global financial crisis, saying his company has recently increased its production capacity and is still importing cement. Speaking at the head office of the company, QNCC’s chairman Salem bin Batti al-Naimi explained that the current surplus production his company has is mainly because of the recent commissioning of new plants. “We have surplus cement production and ready to supply any amount. But this is because we added new capacity. We are still importing 6.000 tonnes of cement a day and can’t do without it in the present time,” al-Naimi told reporters yesterday. However, al-Naimi predicted that there would be a surplus production of cement soon in all the Gulf states due to the global financial crisis which has badly hit the construction industry in the region. “I believe that any giant projects announced by our government will absorb any potential surplus we may have,” he added. The QNCC, which is the leading producer of cement in Qatar, has increased its daily production to 18,000tonnes a day. “It is our duty to meet any demand of cement in the local market whether by our local production or importing,” al-Naimi added. The official also revealed that his company is likely to provide the Qatar-Bahrain causeway with cement, saying that QNCC is in talks with the company which will implement the $3bn-project. “We are producing seven types of cement, and the implementing company will need one of them,” he added. The construction of the causeway is scheduled to start this summer with a five-year timeline. About the prices of cement, the official stressed that the price of the cement produced by QNCC is fixed at QR250 per tonne. “We have an extra production and ready to provide any clients with the quantity they need. If there are others who sell cement at double prices, this would be a black market which is not our responsibility,” he said. http://gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=297231&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

Follow us on our social media channels: @ILQlive @ILQlive @ILoveQtr ILoveQatar