Where does the cement go?<\/p>\n
In some regions there is a cement shortage, again. The
\ndisappearance of this basic commodity has triggered a price hike.
\nThe public is wondering, why is there a shortage of cement every
\nyear? Some suspect that the producers are not honest. By creating
\nan imbalance between supply and demand, the price of cement will
\ngo up. Still, consumers buy it.<\/p>\n
The minister of Public Housing, Akbar Tandjung, argued that
\nthe price hike is caused by the fact that a lot of houses are
\nbeing built. But this argument is rejected by the House of
\nRepresentatives. Mathematical calculations will show that if one
\nhouse needs 50 sacks of cement, the construction of the planned
\n240,000 houses a year requires only 240,000 tons of cement, as
\nthe Minister said. This is only a small portion of the annual
\ncombined production, of nine factories, of 21.3 million tons.<\/p>\n
The shortage of cement has caused great concern, particularly
\nfor those who are engaged in construction works. Both government
\nand private projects are upset by this cement shortage.<\/p>\n
It should be realized that a prolonged cement problem will
\ncause inflation, which runs counter to the government's program
\nof curbing inflation. Therefore, the authorities should make a
\nthorough study of the situation to ensure a better distribution
\nsystem in the future.<\/p>\n
-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/where-does-the-cement-go-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }