Caribbean facing cement shortage

Guyana needs at least 20,000 tonnes (18,100 metric tonnes) of cement to ease the shortfall, which has delayed repairs to schools, government buildings, roads and housing developments, said industry minister Manzoor Nadir.

Although the South American country will soon receive 5,000 (4,536 metric tonnes) tonnes of cement from Colombia, “that has already been sold out,” Nadir said. “Huge construction projects in the hemisphere and around the world mean that this problem might be with us for the next 18 months. The situation is serious.”

Trinidad Cement Limited, the main supplier of cement for Guyana and most of the Caribbean, has been slow in responding to demands from Trinidad’s construction boom and for the Cricket World Cup, said Michelle Langton, company spokeswoman. The company was building a delivery terminal in Guyana to help ease the shortage, Langton said.

Stadiums in six countries were being built for the cricket tournament, while seven other match sites were undergoing major renovations. Some countries were also scrambling to build hotels and other lodging to house the 100,000 cricket fans expected to attend the event.

Jamaica’s Caribbean Cement Company Limited added to the shortfall on Monday when it suspended the manufacture and distribution of cement until investigations into claims of faulty product were completed. An internal investigation revealed that the company has been producing substandard cement since October 2005, Rollin Bertrand, chief executive officer of Trinidad Cement Limited — Carib Cement’s majority shareholder — told Television Jamaica on Friday. The company has resumed partial cement production and delivery, giving priority to the two stadiums in Jamaica that will host World Cup matches, Carib Cement said late Friday. It’s not clear when they will resume full production.