BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 25
By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend:
Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan adopted a resolution on measures to simplify the procedure for importing cement and to ensure the domestic market with quality cement on July 23, 2020, Trend reports citing the Antimonopoly Committee of Uzbekistan.
According to the document, it will be possible to provide the imported cement to the local markets within 1-2 days, instead of 28, as it was previously.
It is expected that this decision will saturate the domestic market with quality cement products and reduce the current cost of building materials.
In the first half of 2020, 813,000 tons of cement products were imported, which is 56 percent less than in the first half of 2019 (1.8 million tons).
In May 2020, Cabinet of Ministers has lifted its restrictions on cement imports (introduced in April 2020).
Previously, the Uzbek government exempted imported building materials from customs duties to boost construction work countrywide.
Currently, six large and 19 smaller cement enterprises with a total capacity of 11.1 million tons are operating in Uzbekistan. The largest of them are: JSC Kyzylkumcement (3.1 million tons), JSC Ahangarancement (2.2 million tons) and the Sherabad Cement Plant (1.5 million tons).
The Government of Uzbekistan set a task for Ozsanoatqurilishmateriallari Joint Stock Company (Uzbek major producer of construction materials) to bring the production to 10 trillion soum ($984.9 million) in the first half of the year, and 22 trillion soum ($2.1 billion) by the end of the year. It was entrusted to expand production to substitute import of construction materials.
Uzbekistan has 275 promising deposits of necessary raw materials, and 14 projects worth $52 million are being implemented in Gazgan settlement of Nurata district.
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