India’s federal government will soon announce new norms to allow easier imports of cement to check rising local prices of the commodity, a senior government executive said Thursday.

"Cement imports have to be made easier. We will formally announce new rules in a day or two," Ajay Dua, the senior-most government executive at the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, told reporters on the sidelines of an industry event.

Dua declined to elaborate.

Earlier this year the government removed extra tax on cement imports after local prices had surged.