Honduras cement prices up for discussion

The Honduras Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Competition and the country’s cement companies will meet Thursday to discuss changes to the price of cement. At present the price of a bag of cement is frozen at HNL160 (US$8.21).

A decision is expected by 10 February as the following day the resolution holding the price at HNL160 expires. "We will have another meeting with the cement companies and probably next Monday we will be issuing a final decision, to see if the current price remains still valid or if the price is released," said Minister of Investment and Cooperation, Alden Rivera.

In the second half of December 2013, Cementos Argos increased the price of a 42.5kg bag by HNL11, unlike the cement company that covers the north of the country, which maintained its price at HNL130. It justified its price increase to the government saying it had not increased its prices over the past two years despite increasing energy and labour costs.