Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

  Mr. İğnebekçili stating that sector reached from 20 thousand tons of clinker capacity to 66 million tons of clinker capacity said “Now they become number 4 producer in the world and have been the biggest exporter of the world for last 2 years”. TOBB Cement and Cement Products Assembly held the first meeting of 2011 in Ankara. During the meeting which is held by participation of executives from private sector, non – governmental organizations and public institutions, issues of the sector followed by Ministry of Environment and Forestry were reported to officials from Ministry. -Energy, the most important cost During the assembly meeting, while it is pointed that energy is the most important cost item for cement, it is expressed that taking sector’s opinions and EU standards into account, studies should be done in order to reduce energy costs. It is demanded officials of the ministry to take formal opinion of the sector concerning projections before Second International Statement is become a draft. -Expectations of the sector about Waste Management Representatives of the sector who agreed that permission would be given for collection of worn out tires by energy recycling factories and importing decomposed tires and non – hazardous wastes for the purpose of energy recycling, delivered their will to officials of Ministry of Environment and Forestry. While reporting that sector’s need of worn out tire is about 550 thousand tons in total and 40 thousand tons of this need could be met from internal market, officials stated that permission for import of decomposed tires with some pre – conditions, by virtue of a change to be made on foreign trade notification.   -“Fuel Subventions should be ruled out” Furthermore, in the meeting it is stressed that coal and petroleum coke are used where and in which conditions within the sector is determined and a system is adopted which constantly controls the emissions related to them. It is also expressed by assembly members that subvention procedures on this matter brings additional bureaucracy into the sector, thus it leaves the sector in a difficult situation.