Factories raised cement prices 4 times and lowered it once, says construction ministry

On Monday, the minister of construction and urban development held a regular meeting with staff members and industry representatives.

At the meeting, Head of Department of Construction Materials Production of the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development D.Batzorig presented on the current situation of the supply of cement and reinforcement and shared preliminary data on the demand and supply in 2023.

This year, local factories estimated that they would produce 4.4 million tons of cement with their installed capacity but one of the factories halted its operations and only 1.7 million tons of cement were produced in total, 2.7 million tons below the target range.

Factories blamed the fluctuation in cement prices and the difficulty of railway transportation for the shortage. In particular, the price of cement rose four times and declined once this year. In 2023, they plan to take into account these risks, study the consumption of cement and reinforcement in detail, make a preliminary plan and prepare counterplans for unexpected power outages and railway transportation. D.Batzorig mentioned that the department is cooperating with the relevant organizations within the framework of solving issues stemming from the shortage.

Director of the Project Unit responsible for the construction of the new Central Wastewater Treatment Plant T.Bolorchuluun reported that the construction progress is 65 percent complete, the overhead line work is underway and preparations for the winter have begun.