Luncheon makes policy statement on cement

Guyana Chronicle news item. 16 October 2009.
Luncheon makes policy statement on cement
By Priya Nauth
THE Guyana Government wants to ensure that there is a adequate, reliable and a competitively priced supply of cement for Guyanese, Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon said yesterday.

He made the policy statement in response to questions about the Government’s position in the Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) controversy at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing at Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.

Noting that the matter is, indeed, sub judice, Luncheon said: “But others have spoken, not that they have spoken disregarding this principle but they have spoken.

“I want to reiterate what we are really concerned about, in this matter, what is the Government’s real concern and, of course, the answer is obvious.

“We are not in the business of buying and selling cement. We are in the business of development and housing development and housing construction is a very important part.”

Luncheon disclosed that billions (of dollars) have been spent on preparation of lands, building infrastructure and doing squatter settlement rehabilitation for housing construction.

“And this bottle neck that has been created by TCL, studiously denied of course by TCL…is the issue here,” he maintained.

Luncheon added: “That is the issue. So, if I were to comment, merely to say it’s in our national interest to ensure that cement is available, predictably available and competitively priced.”

He said the statement issued by the Administration really captured what the Government feels, and about its position on the TCL issue.

“An adequate, a reliable and a competitively priced supply of cement for Guyanese,” he stated.