More facilities to private sector of building materials

"The government will give more facilities to the private sector producing the building materials in a way that leads to a cut in the sector's production costs," said Egypt's Prime Minister Atef Ebeid yesterday in a meeting with chairmen of the building materials producing companies.

Ebeid said the total Egyptian cement production hits 37.5 million tonnes in the year 2005 with an increase of these local needs and export the surplus to foreign markets.

The ministers of housing, industry and the public enterprises sector attended the meeting.

Minister of the Public Enterprises Sector, Moukhtar Khattab, said some main issues were discussed: -Means of activating this sector. It was agreed to remove all obstacles in the way of the industry of building materials in the coming stage in order to meet the needs of the local market and to set foot in foreign markets.

-To compile data about this industry so that invests may obtain the necessary information on the capacities which should be enlarged and to enable them to take the right decisions for investment.

-To set up a high level training center to be added to about existent 750 vocational training centers.

-To increase demand on local production in government tenders this aspect receive great attention in compliance with the directives of President Hosni Mubarak in this respect.

-To promote Egyptian products by staging exhibitions outside Egypt. The private sector should participate in internal major specialized exhibitions outside Egypt.