Standard gauge rail contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation has defended itself over accusation of bypassing local cement producers in favour of imports in the construction of the railway.
In a statement seen by nation.co.ke, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) the firm has been procuring cement from local producers since construction of temporary facilities of the SGR began last year.
This followed the signing of purchase agreements with major cement manufacturers last year for supplies throughout the construction phase of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
The firm said it has to date bought about 150,000 tonnes of cement from the local manufacturers including Bamburi Cement, East African Portland Cement, Athi River Mining Cement and Savanah Cement and it anticipates the volumes of cement consumed increase substantially in the coming months.
According to CRBC manager for external relations and cooperation, Julius Li, it is cheaper to buy materials locally as opposed to importing the same due to inflation of costs associated with logistical procedures.
"We have a principle where we first source for materials from the Kenyan market and only resort to international market when these are not available locally," Mr Li said.
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