Laranzo Dacres, Youthlink Writer

Towering cylindrical silos at the Caribbean Cement Company in Rockfort, east Kingston. - Contributed photos

From left, Alice Hyde, marketing manager; Lorraine Richards, lab technician, and Rojan Anderson, process engineer, speak during the interview.

A team from The Gleaner's Youthlink magazine recently spent time with representatives of Caribbean Cement Company in Kingston. The company's marketing manager, Alice Hyde, was inter-viewed.

YL: What factors were responsible for the recent cement inferiority?

(Alice Hyde ) AH: "The inferior cement was due to the fact that we had started using another raw material for clinker production and the equipment that was used was not calibrated correctly so we got incorrect readings which affected the quality outcome of the cement, resulting in the inferior cement."

YL: This has been the second cement shortage in less than two years. What are the factors responsible for the cement shortage in the past and also this time around?

AH: "The cement shortage that was experienced in March of last year had a number of contributing factors. One was the shutting down of the company's production system for two weeks to address cement quality problems.

As for the most recent cement shortage, there was not any cement being imported by third parties. Once the cement that they imported ran out, they did not replace it, that is when the shortage took place. We have been producing cement for the whole year, and without imported cement we would not be able to meet the demand of the open market."

YL: How has the company dealt with the cement crisis and shortage?

AH: "We have employed more professionals, bought new equipment, run constant quality test on the cement. We have also started our plant expansion and modernisation programme and the company have recently received the Bureau of Standards Jamaica and the ISO 9001:2000 certification of quality, which I believe is a step in the right direction."

YL: What preventative measures have been taken to eliminate the possibility of this or similar occurrences in the future?

AH: As I have said before, we have embarked on our plant expansion and modernisation programme scheduled for com-pletion in next year. As a result of this, we should be in a better position to supply the market, along with imported cement. We have to be constantly importing cement to prevent shortages in the future and, as long as cement is being imported, there should not be any problems."

YL: Do you believe that the implementation of the 8.5 per cent increase in the price of cement is justified?

AH: "I believe that it is fully justified. The increase was due to the cost of fuel and the devaluation of the Jamaican dollar."

YL: What is the estimatedloss in profits the company experienced during the period of the cement crisis?

AH: "The estimated loss that the company experienced during the cement crisis; taking in various provisions, is about $304 million and for production loss, quality issues and the hiring of new professionals, $300 million. So, the overall loss would be an estimated $600 million.