Professor Dodoo explained that Xin An Safe Cement Ghana Ltd, Kumasi Cement Ghana Ltd, and Uniceme Cement Ghana Ltd were shut down due to their repeated failure to comply with warnings issued by the GSA.

Addressing the situation in the media, Prof. Dodoo expressed concerns about the companies’ disregard for repeated instructions. He stated, “It’s something we have been questioning; that letter was issued after repeated instructions, and we had to act for the sake of our country. Thankfully, this time, the companies have all admitted their wrongs, we have stopped their operations completely, and we are supervising them, and we want more drastic actions.”

To enhance quality control, the GSA has outlined plans to introduce legislation regulating the production and sale of electrical cables and iron rods.

Prof. Dodoo stressed the GSA’s dedication to enforcing national standards and safeguarding consumers from substandard products, warning that companies violating the rules will face severe penalties.

“Before the L. I. is laid and passed, we are going to take action not just against these companies, but companies in the cement, electrical cables, and iron rod industry. We chose these three because they represent areas of the biggest risk and challenges at the moment,” he added.

In addition to regulatory measures, the GSA is actively involved in public education campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of purchasing high-quality construction materials.

“For the past three weeks, we have been distributing leaflets educating Ghanaians. You can be rest assured of more and more carrying out actions and ensuring that offending individuals and organizations pay the necessary administrative penalty or fines as demanded by law,” Prof. Dodoo concluded.

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The companies are Xin An Safe Cement Ghana Ltd, located at Ejisu, Kumasi Cement Ghana Ltd, located at Offinso, and Uniceme Cement Ghana Ltd, located at Bekwai, all in the Ashanti Region.

The move is part of a larger effort to crack down on substandard cement production across the country.

The crackdown is being spearheaded by the GSA under the auspices of the parent Ministry of Trade and Industry. 

In addition to the closure of the companies, the clampdown exercise covers prohibiting the construction of new cement factory, pending a streamlined permit issuance process by regulatory institutions.

The Director-General of the GSA, Professor Alex Dodoo, told the Daily Graphic, in an interview, that the exercise was to address the government’s concerns about standards, quality assurance, and environmental safeguards in cement production.

“What we are doing is ensuring fair trade and stability in the manufacturing space. We stand a chance of making this country a hub for manufacturing for the global market and trust is key for any major player who wants to invest in the country,” the Director-General said.

Prof. Dodoo stressed the importance of streamlining industries that created the real sustainable jobs that drove growth. 

Fail test results 

Prof. Dodoo said as part of the ongoing cement quality audits and surveillance, officers from GSA visited the factories to inspect and sample bagged cements as well as constituent materials (raw materials) used for the production of cement for laboratory tests.

The test results from Xin An Safe Cement Ghana Ltd indicated that limestone did not conform to the requirements for Calcium Carbonate content in the product, and mineral identification analysis also showed that the sample was Feldspar and Quartz. 

“In view of this, you are instructed to cease operation/production henceforth until the use of the approved raw materials,” a letter from the GSA to Xin An Safe Cement stated. 

Similar letters were sent to the other two companies.

Prof. Dodoo explained that Feldspar and Quartz were not recommended major constituents of cement and, as such, their use as major constituents by some cement manufacturers should be stopped forthright.

At the Kumasi Cement Ghana Ltd, official test results indicated that Gypsum did not conform to the requirements for per cent Calcium Sulphate as required in the standard, GS C22/C22M-00 (2015), while limestone did not conform to the requirements for Calcium Carbonate content as required in the standard, GS 1118:2016. 

Similarly, test results from samples taken at the Uniceme Cement Ghana Ltd indicated that limestone did not conform to the requirements for Calcium Carbonate content, and mineral identification analysis showed that the sample was Feldspar.

“This is despite the fact that Feldspar is not a recommended major constituent of cement and as such, its use as a major constituent was problematic and unsafe,” the director-general stated.

Reducing clinker imports 

Prof. Dodoo revealed that plans were underway to establish factories to manufacture a substitute for clinker  with local resources to help reduce the importation of clinker, which is a major component for the manufacturing of Portland cement in the country.

“We have published a few papers on how we can use local substitutes to replace a significant proportion, probably 50 per cent of the clinker we use. I am happy to note that two giants are actually establishing a factory to produce this,” Prof. Dodoo said. 

Substituting clinker with calcined clay in cement production will have immense environmental benefits, he added. 

Globally, cement production accounts for about 7.5 per cent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. 

Using calcined clay to minimise the need for traditional, carbon-intensive clinker, therefore, would be a major advancement towards eliminating the negative environmental footprint from cement production, Prof. Dodoo explained.

Industry in line 

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers, Ghana (COCMAG), Rev. Dr George Dawson-Ahmoah, when reached, said COCMAG was collaborating with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to develop optimal environment, safety and cement quality standards and to combat unfair trade practices whenever they arose.

That would ensure the growth of the country’s cement industry, Rev. Dr Dawson-Ahmoah said. 

The cement industry has companies such as Ghacem, Diamond Cement, Dangote Cement, CIMAF, Savannah Cement, Gyata Cement and CBI Ghana.

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The partnership between the two entities is also to promote adherence to quality standards.

The task force would monitor imported products and ensure that they do not undercut locally manufactured goods or use the country as a dumping ground.

The Chief Executive Officer of AGI, Seth Twum-Akwaboah, said this at the annual general meeting of the Tema Chapter of the Association in Tema last Tuesday.

Among issues discussed at the meeting which had industry players as participants were opportunities industries could benefit from under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTA), tax exemptions, and the free zones regime.

The Tema regional executive of the Association was also reaffirmed for a new tenure of office.

Mr Eddie Akwetey was retained as Chairman, with Adobea Asiamah-Aboagye as his vice.

Messrs Charles Atuahene, Ben Aniagyei, Andrews Amankwah, and Kate Quartey-Papafio, all retained their positions as treasurer, executive members, and ex-officio members respectively.

Mr Twum-Akwaboah said the influx of unbranded and substandard imports, particularly electric cables, sanitary pads, textiles, and diapers, posed significant challenges to local producers.

Investigations

“Our investigations have revealed that most of these imported products are unbranded and do not meet national quality standards.

“This unfair competition is making it difficult for local producers to thrive, despite their commitment to quality and adherence to standards,” he added.

Mr Twum-Akwaboah also said that the duplicity of taxes had also constrained members who had to pay nearly 52 per cent in taxes.

VAT

Mr Twum-Akwaboah, however, said that the zero Value Added Tax (VAT) regime had been a lifeline for the textile industry in the country, shielding it from the devastating effects of counterfeiting and cheap textile imports.

“If the policy was to be revoked, textile companies in the country would face insurmountable challenges in competing with their unscrupulous counterparts who continue to plagiarise designs, print, and allegedly smuggle them back into the country.

Challenges

The Tema regional chairman, Dr Akwetey, mentioned some of the challenges they faced as rising utility tariffs, a depreciating cedi, and rampant increases in the cost of goods and services, factors which had pushed many companies to the brink of collapse.

He also drew attention to the deplorable state of roads within the Tema industrial enclave and called for improvement of infrastructure to enhance business operations in the area.

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The GSA Branch, at a General Meeting, held on April 25, 2023, resolved to carry out a series of protest actions culminating in a demonstration on 1st May 2023( Workers Day) if an enquiry into Mr Nagetey’s death is not undertaken by then.

“From Wednesday, 26th April 2023 members resolved to wear RED and BLACK with red bands to mourn our brother Mr Stanley Nagetey.

“Staff will picket at the forecourt of the Administration Block from 26th to 28th April 2023 until Management acts on the contents of the Union’s letter dated 4th March 2023, which demanded an investigation into the untimely death of Mr Stanley Nagetey.

“Staff will carry placards at the May Day Celebration to demonstrate our dissatisfaction with Management’s refusal to conduct an investigation into the sudden death of Mr Stanley Nagetey on 1st May 2023.

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“If Management refuses to act by 2nd May 2023, we will have a press conference to tell our story to Ghanaians,” the resolution dated April 25, 2023, signed by the Secretary of the GSA, Branch Pokuaa Appiah-Kubi, said.