Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade Tarek Qabil announced that the ministry would issue conditions for tender documents and requirement specifications of cement production in the coming days to meet the future needs of the local market.
The minister said that the Cabinet has recently approved defining a fixed value for the cement licences paid to the government based on the economic feasibility. The government will also be accepting qualified applicants.
Qabil added that issuing new cement licenses will contribute to filling the future demand, which is expected to reach 90.4 million tonnes by 2022. Egypt 23 cement factories which produce 60 million tonnes annually.
During his tour of the industrial zone which is located Ain al-Sukhna, Qabil noted the importance of the cement plants’ compliance with environmental standards and requirements set by the Ministry of Environment especially in light of the plants’ dependency on coal for energy.
The minister toured a cement factory, whose investments amount to EGP 2bn and which produces 1.8 million tonnes annually and employs 600 workers.
The tour included a visit to the Ataka zone in Suez region, where the minister visited a major steel factory, whose investments have reached approximately EGP 14bn, and which produces about 2 million tonnes annually and employs nearly 4,800.
