Cement firm closed by GSA for using subpar materials; two directors detained

A cement manufacturing company in the Ashanti Region was forced to close its doors due to allegations that it used subpar raw materials when producing cement.

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) conducted an investigation on Tuesday that resulted in the arrest of two directors of Kumasi Cement Ghana Limited.

This comes after prior advisories for the business to cease operations until authorised.

The Ghana Standards Authority ordered three cement producers in the Ashanti region to halt operations last week over worries about the calibre of their output.

But because Kumasi Cement Ghana Limited disregarded the rules, company was forced to close.

The action is a part of a bigger initiative to enforce the Ghana Standards Authority Act 2022, which aims to safeguard consumers by clamping down on inferior cement production nationwide.

The endeavour involves forbidding the establishment of new cement factories until regulatory bodies have expedited the process of issuing permits.

The GSA’s Ashanti Regional Director, Samuel Kofi Frimpong, told JoyNews that testing were carried out before choices were made.

“All raw materials used in the production of cement in all cement manufacturing companies in the country were tested by us, and the results of our analysis indicated that they are not using the right materials,” the speaker stated.

Mr. Frimpong states that the Ghana Standards Authority plans to carry out the effort nationwide to make sure manufacturers adhere to established guidelines while producing cement.

We initiated a nationwide exercise in 2018, and we will undoubtedly carry it out in the future. It won’t be about cements; we have to keep going; we have to start. We’ll see to it that the appropriate supplies are available on the market,” he continued.