The local Jamaican construction industry is reportedly in crisis as activities have come to a virtual standstill in the wake of fresh concerns about the quality of products supplied by Caribbean Cement Company from its Rockfort plant. Work on several projects have been halted as investigations are carried out to determine whether cement supplies meet required standards. Several buildings which have been constructed with sub-standard cement are being demolished. The company is currently recalling bagged cement manufactured between February 19 and 27.

President of the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica, IMAJ, Michael Archer, told RJR News Tuesday night that the sector is bracing for a major setback. The IMAJ says buildings constructed with the faulty cement are more susceptible to damage during natural disasters such as earthquakes.

The IMAJ says it received complaints from its members and several reports were made to Caribbean Cement as well as the Bureau of Standards.  In the meantime, the probe launched by Caribbean Cement Company into the release of poor quality supplies will be completed by the end of the week.

In a statement issued Tuesday night, Caribbean Cement said it’s in the final stages of investigating the circumstances which led to a breach of quality standards at its Rockfort Plant.