MORE THAN three months after Caribbean Cement Company Limited's (CCCL) mass distribution and subsequent recall of 500 tonnes of non-conforming cement crippled the construction sector, normality has not returned to the cement-starved industry.
Michael Archer, president of the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica, told The Gleaner yesterday that while the waiting period has been drastically reduced, normality remains a desire.
"There are people who have to wait three or four days to get bag supplies, but it is better than the three or four weeks in the past," he said.
Mr. Archer disclosed that despite the cement company's production that is complemented by the thousands of tonnes imported by the private and public sectors, an estimated 70,000 tonnes of cement would be needed to deal with the current backlog.
He added that while the supply for bulk cement is matching its demand stride for stride, the supply of bagged cement is taking a beating from the demand for the product. Mr. Archer said that last week's demand for the product stood at 365,000 tonnes, while the supply stood at 318,000 tonnes.
Lystra Sharp, public relations officer for CCCL, said that there was not a shortage of bagged cement at present. But she told The Gleaner that problems experienced with the offloading of some 200,000 bagged cement, which arrived from Cuba recently, has stymied the distribution process.
"There is a lot more cement in the market and it is certainly not as desperate as last month," she emphasised.
