For a year, since February 8, 2009, MoWUD imported 12 million quintals at close to 90 million dollars. Five million quintals was sold to the market through the Merchandise Wholesale and Import Trade Enterprise (MWITE), while the rest was used for the housing development agency and other government projects.
"We have completed the job successfully," said a top official at the ministry.
With the restoration of electricity supply, all cement factories have geared up to full capacity production and an additional six factories have also started production, inducing the ministry to bring an end to the importation.
"There will be no electricity shortage this year for cement factories. They will produce at full capacity, and we expect no shortage of cement in the market," he said.
A year ago, before the government had started importing, the price of cement was upwards of 400 Br per quintal. Now the price is not only much lower but the market seems to be responding further to new the production as well.
Cement from the National Cement Factory was selling at 230 Br, in Addis Abeba, 10 days ago, according to traders at Gotera and Megenagna.
Last week, this amount was down to 205 Br. Mugher Cement has also reduced their prices from the same price 10 days ago to 218 Br. Cement from the new market entrant, Jimma Cement, has gone down from 205 Br to 192 Br in the same 10-day period.
"Cement is now very cheap," said Tigist Tilahun, a sales manager at one of the stores around Megenagna, although she wondered why her sales figures were not responding accordingly.
MWITE is now preparing to go out of the cement business, according to Yimam Mohammed, general manager, because the local market has now been stabilised.
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