The Minister for Economic Development Farhad Aliyev told Azer-press that the decision of the board of Holcim to replace the board and chairman of the board of Garadagh Cement is the indirect admission of the rightfulness of the Azeri Government’s complaints about the work of Garadagh Cement. It should be remembered that Holcim replaced the technical and financial directors of Garadagh Cement; former chairman of the board Alex Traun was replaced with Uve Keller. ’As a result of this, the price of cement has dropped 25-30 per cent. I think that these changes will make Garadagh Cement run steady’, Minister Aliyev said. The new managers of Garadagh Cement were introduced to Minister Aliyev by member of the executive board of Holcim Hansueli Hee during Mr Hee’s visit to Baku.
’The failure of Holcim of fulfilling several obligations with respect to privatisation of Garadagh Cement was mentioned during the conversation with Hansueli Hee. Hansueli Hee said that the investment activities of Holcim would be continued as planned and all the obligations would be carried out. In addition, Holcim announced the plan to raise the out-puts of Garadagh Cement to 1.4Mt a year’, Minister Aliyev said.
