Nepal is set to enforce new grading certification

The Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology will provide grading certification for all cement produced in the country from November, according to The Kathmandu Post. Currently, there is no grading system and producers use Indian quality standards.

However, cement will now be classified into 33, 43 and 53 grades on par with international standards. The new certification is expected to be enforced from 17 November.

Most cement factories in Nepal produce 33 grade cement, according to Manoj Upadhyay, director of the bureau's Physical Standard Formulation Section. "It took three years to prepare the grading standard for Nepal," said Mr Upadhyay.

Mr Upadhyay also noted that the court had directed the bureau to make it mandatory for factories to pack cement in laminated bags two months ago, in an effort to increase the legibility of batch numbers printed on the bags.