Egypt's Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel El-Wazir held a meeting with cement manufacturers to review production levels and recent declines in cement prices, the Cabinet announced on Tuesday. El-Wazir noted that although cement prices have dropped over the past month, further efforts are needed by companies to reduce costs for local consumers while ensuring manufacturers achieve reasonable returns. He stressed increasing production capacity, operating idle lines, and adjusting licensed capacities for factories seeking expansion as key measures to lower prices, according to the announcement. The meeting discussed eight inactive cement production lines that need maintenance or upgrade. One factory needs a By-Pass landfill, and coordination is ongoing between Beni Suef Governorate and the Environmental Affairs Agency. El-Wazir directed the Industrial Development Authority and Consumer Protection Agency to prepare a detailed report on production costs and pricing mechanisms, including reasonable profit and VAT, to determine fair consumer prices. He also urged factories to use local alternative fuels from agricultural and household waste to reduce coal imports and mandated that cement packages display final prices one month before market release in line with market mechanisms. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
