Trade

Regulator fights tycoon’s plan in cement worth struggle

Monday October 18 2021

Narendra Raval, chairman, Devki Group of Firms throughout an interview at his Ruiru workplace on April 19, 2021. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG

The Competitors Authority of Kenya (CAK) has warned the federal government in opposition to implementing a proposal by billionaire industrialist Narendra Raval to boost the import obligation on clinker, a uncooked materials utilized in cement manufacturing, from 10 % to 25 %.

Mr Raval whose Devki Group owns 4 cement companies has been lobbying the federal government to boost the taxes, arguing that the nation now has sufficient capability to fulfill its clinker wants.

However the competitors watchdog says the proposal is a self-serving transfer on the a part of Devki which has a near-monopoly on the means of producing clinker, including that it dangers shutting down rival vegetation and elevating cement costs

In an advisory opinion to State Home, the Treasury and different authorities departments, the regulator famous that imported clinker is cheaper and that the window to import or produce it domestically needs to be maintained to make sure wholesome competitors.

The State has been contemplating growing the import obligation, drawing protests from Raval’s rivals — Bamburi Cement, Savannah and Rai. The watchdog says costly imported clinker will make it simpler for Raval to manage cement costs by means of influencing rivals’ manufacturing prices, killing them by controlling provide of the essential uncooked materials.

“Rising the present import duties will subsequently distort the market, entrench Nationwide Cement’s place as a cement producer and a clinker provider and inserting it at a place to foreclosing opponents and barring entry into the market,” the CAK wrote within the letter.

“Additional, growing obligation will make it extra expensive [sic] for companies to import clinker but sourcing from native producers is much more costly.The proposal appears to not be attending to an current market/shopper drawback however a non-public/shareholder funding technique.

The billionaire, 59, who made his preliminary fortune within the metal business, has spent billions of shillings lately to construct a cement empire. Devki has annual revenues of greater than $800 million (Sh88 billion), producing metal merchandise, roofing sheets and cement amongst different gadgets.

The conglomerate now owns Nationwide Cement, Simba Cement, ARM Cement and Cemtech, fuelling the growth by means of its personal sources and loans from banks and the Worldwide Finance Company (IFC).

The CAK’s evaluation exhibits that the Devki entities management a mixed 84 % of limestone mining allocation, giving them extra energy within the extraction of the mineral which is a key part in producing clinker. Limestone is blended with clay soil and iron ore to make clinker which is then floor with gypsum to make cement.

Mr Raval, one of many richest and well-connected businessmen within the nation, has argued that elevating taxes on overseas clinker or banning imports altogether is now potential due to the flexibility to provide the commodity domestically.

He says the transfer will assist create jobs for Kenyans and enhance the nation’s steadiness of funds. Mr Raval lately introduced that his firm, Nationwide Cement, will reduce greater than 800 jobs due to weak demand for clinker because of the federal government’s failure to curb imports of the commodity.

Rivals protested, accusing him of utilizing his place as one of many nation’s greatest employers to arm-twist the federal government into proscribing clinker imports

It marked a uncommon fallout amongst members of the Kenya Affiliation of Producers (KAM) who historically take a place to foyer policymakers. The chief executives of Savannah Cement, Bamburi Cement, Rai Cement and Karsan Ramji & Sons Restricted issued an announcement to sentence what they termed a disingenuous “public outcry” by Nationwide Cement.

They mentioned the corporate had gone in opposition to the all-inclusive Nationwide Impartial Clinker Verification Committee whose key suggestion is that gamers needs to be given a grace interval of 4 years earlier than any enhance of import obligation

Mr Raval’s strikes are paying homage to Nigeria’s protectionist insurance policies beginning in 1999 that turbocharged the enterprise empire of Aliko Dangote who went on to turn out to be the richest man in Africa with a fortune estimated at $12.8 billion (Sh1.4 trillion).

In an interview with the Monetary Occasions, Mr Dangote mentioned Nigeria’s former president Olusegun Obasanjo summoned him and requested why the nation couldn’t produce cement.

The businessman instructed Mr Obasanjo that it was extra worthwhile to commerce than to provide, including that proscribing imports would incentivise manufacturing. The President agreed and the protectionist insurance policies began, serving to the businessman to construct the most important commodities empire on the continent starting from cement, petrochemicals and sugar

Mr Dangote mentioned he helped fund Mr Obasanjo’s electoral campaigns, demonstrating how prime entrepreneurs are uniquely positioned to form coverage to their profit. The CAK says Devki’s proposal dangers reversing the regular decline in cement costs over time, an final result of brutal worth wars fuelled by growth of entrenched and new gamers regardless of a rising glut within the native and regional markets.

The regulator says actual costs declined by greater than 20 % in Kenya between 2014 and 2018, making the cement sector one of many few industries to chop costs regardless of rising enter prices.

The regulator mentioned that the present landed value for a tonne of clinker from the worldwide markets ranges from $100 (Sh11,000) to $110 (Sh12,200), which is cheaper than domestically bought clinker

The CAK argued that it permitted Devki’s growth within the cement sector by means of acquisitions resulting from the truth that its rivals have entry to imported clinker. The assertion indicators that ought to restriction on clinker imports be imposed, the regulator may push for the breakup of Devki’s cement empire since its management of the commodity will then have a significant impression on competitors.

Devki has up to now few years spent greater than Sh6 billion to accumulate ARM Cement and Cemtech, rising its gross sales market share and getting access to extra limestone mining rights.