KUCHING, Dec 22: Sarawak is now looking into importing between 500,000 to 1 million metric tons of cement per year from Siam Cement Group (SCG) in Bangkok for local use starting 2023.
A Sarawak delegation led by Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) and Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) made a study visit to SCG head office on Monday (Dec 19).
The group traveled to Thailand to explore the possibility of forming an SEDC-BDA joint-venture company to import cement from SCG to address Sarawak’s cement shortage and price hike issues.
According to a statement, the expected outcomes of this initiative would see an increase of cement supply in Sarawak to address the immediate needs of the construction industry.
Today, the average unit price of cement in Sarawak is 15 per cent higher than in Peninsular Malaysia and 4 per cent higher than in Sabah.
Importations of cement are subjected to Certificate of Approval issued by Construction Industry and Development Board (CIDB) while the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) is the custodian for policy decisions on the import of cement.
In 2021, Sarawak imported lime, cement and fabricated construction materials with total value of RM206.6 million, mainly from Peninsular Malaysia (RM112.83 million), Indonesia (RM56.3 million) and China (RM13.6 million). — DayakDaily
