The Ministry of Industry and Trade issued an EGP 200 fee on each ton of marble and granite blocks, in addition to an EGP 50 fee on each ton of any kind of sand, according to statement made by Minister of Industry and Trade Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour Tuesday. The ministry has banned the export of feldspar, quartz, talc and manganese. "The imposition of the fee is not intended to increase the financial resources of the state, but the main goal is to implement an industrial policy based on improving the competitiveness of these products and increasing their added value," Abdel Nour stated. He added: "The government will not go back on its claims that it will export products only after they are processed and refined, because this will increase the added value of the product and increase revenue from exports." He pointed out that the government will provide all facilities to the producers – whether local or foreign – to set up projects for the manufacture of these raw materials, something that will contribute to the creation of thousands of job opportunities. These statements were made during a meeting between the minister and a number of producers and exporters of construction materials. The meeting dealt with changes taking place in the construction supplies market in Egypt, as well as the most important challenges for export in the sector. Abdel Nour added that that the ministry will be holding lengthy meetings with companies working in quarries this week. The minister of petroleum will be present to discuss the new law regarding quarries and gauge industry opinions on it, especially regarding its effectiveness in eliminating the challenges facing this sector.
