Honduran cement price rise alarms construction industry

Members of the Honduran Chamber of the Construction Industry (CHICO) have demanded that the cement industry explains the reasons for a HNL10 (US$0.41) price increase for a bag of cement in the domestic market.

"We hope to see what solid substantive arguments will be presented by the cement companies when I understand that an agreement had been reached to leave said increase on stand-by, taking into account what the Honduran people are experiencing," said Osmín Bautista, who heads up the chamber.

The price of a bag of cement was increased with effect of January 2022 after an agreement signed with the Ministry of Economic Development. As a result a bag of grey cement, priced at HNL190 previously is now sold for a minimum of HNL200, depending on the logistics involved.

The cement producers have highlighted the need for a price rise due to high production costs, particularly raw materials and the devaluation of the lempira.

The construction chamber argued that the price rise would impact Hondurans when repairing, expanding or building a new home. The country currently counts a housing deficit of more than a million dwellings.