MINISTER of Industry, Commerce and Technology Phillip Paulwell told the Cabinet yesterday that the supply of cement to the construction sector is “steadily improving”.

Paulwell’s statement to the Cabinet came three weeks after he was instructed to make a public statement on the issue, and two weeks after former Prime Minister P J Patterson promised the media a statement from him on the issue within 48 hours.

Minister of Information Colin Campbell told the post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House that the Cabinet dealt with the matter yesterday after Paulwell made a report on the supply of cement to the local market.

“I am happy to report that the minister reported to the Cabinet that the cement supply situation was steadily improving, even though there is still some level of shortage in the market, particularly in the provision of bagged cement,” Campbell said.

He said that all major government projects, including the transport centre in Half-Way-Tree and the two Cricket World Cup 2007 stadiums, were back in construction.

He said that in regards to the production and importation of the product, the Caribbean Cement Company’s (CCC) daily production of approximately 3,000 tonnes was back to normal, under the supervision of the Bureau of Standards. The company has also imported 20,000 tonnes of cement for distribution to the trade.

The Pinero Group, which is constructing the US$200-million Bahia Principle Clubs and Resort at Pear Tree Bottom in St Ann, has also imported 8,000 tonnes for their projects.

Meanwhile, the government, through the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) will be finalising an agreement this week with the Government of Cuba for importation of 64,000 tonnes which will be imported in three tranches, starting by the end of the month.

The Ministry of Finance and Planning had approved the importation of 160,000 tonnes by commercial importers whose first shipment is expected here next week.

Campbell was yesterday unable to say what had prevented Paulwell from making a statement on the cement issue earlier, as had been indicated by both Patterson and former information minister Burchell Whiteman, at previous post-Cabinet briefings, as well as Campbell himself, last week, who had assured the press that Paulwell would make a statement before the end of the week.

He was also unable to say how local consumers who bought the bad product from Caribbean Cement would be compensated. However, he said that Paulwell had reported that the CCC had received 220 claims from consumers of the product. The claims were being processed, he said.

“.The ministry is not itself involved in that process of claims,” Campbell said.

Last month the Caribbean Cement Company had to recall a batch of 500 tonnes of faulty cement and then halt deliveries for several days. The crisis which this created in the construction sector led to the lay-off of approximately 30,000 workers, affecting the construction of a number of hotels, as well as Highway 2000 and stadiums being prepared, in Kingston and Trelawny, for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

The company eventually admitted that a breakdown in quality control systems at the Rockfort plant was responsible for the delivery of the 500 tonnes of sub-standard cement.

-balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com