In the annual meeting of the Ministry of Construction (MICONS) held this Tuesday, the Cuban government acknowledged a drastic decline in cement production, which in 2024 reached only 10% of the country's installed capacity.
“In 2024, only 258,000 tons of cement were produced, which is 10% of the country’s installed capacity, not including the new factories currently under construction,” explained Reynolds Ramírez Vigaud, president of the OSDE Group of Business Construction Materials.
This situation directly impacts the housing program and the execution of investments in the construction sector, as acknowledged by the leaders Miguel Díaz-Canel and Manuel Marrero Cruz in their remarks, captured by the cameras of the National Television News (NTV).
Among the main causes of this crisis, the Cuban regime identified the shortage of energy providers, a result of the complex national financial situation, as emphasized by the leaders in the meeting.
"With whatever is available for generation, how do we prioritize the cement factory?" Díaz-Canel asked those gathered. "There is a whole group of energy solutions that you have proposed, but if there is no cement - I know it's not the only thing we depend on - it is very difficult to have materials for construction."
As explained by the Doctor in Science and appointed governor, "a significant portion of construction materials has a cement component. If there is no cement, we cannot make investments; if there is no cement, we can make little progress in the housing program."
"This is a plan that we are going to develop under all the pressure of the United States government's policy, which will undoubtedly escalate... We must be able, with talent, effort, and work, to rise above all that escalation," Díaz-Canel urged, with the usual themes of the propaganda crafted in the Palace.
Crisis in the construction materials industry in Cuba
The construction sector in Cuba has faced structural problems for decades. As early as 2017, the cement industry was operating at 58% of its capacity, and since then the situation has continued to deteriorate due to a lack of investment, the energy crisis, and restrictions on importing supplies.
In recent years, the country has experienced critical episodes, such as the loss of large quantities of cement in warehouses due to logistical issues and the shutdown of factories.
Despite initiatives such as the production of the first eco-friendly cement in 2018 and the reopening of the Sancti Spíritus plant in 2022, the sector has not achieved sustained recovery.
The failure to meet the annual housing plan and the continued sale of cement in MLC reflect the insufficiency of production to meet domestic demand.
Furthermore, the government has prioritized the export of materials to obtain foreign currency, which exacerbates local scarcity and makes access to these supplies more expensive for the population. Nevertheless, the prime minister emphasized the need to increase cement production for export.
"We need to reverse this situation, because the issue is that the production of construction materials is very broad. It is necessary for everything, for our development, to be able to advance in all investment processes. Moreover, it substitutes imports and generates foreign currency income. Because it is already localized and progress has been made in meeting foreign demands for construction materials," emphasized Marrero Cruz during the meeting.
The meeting also indicated that this year production will commence at the new cement factories being built in Santiago de Cuba and Nuevitas, which could contribute to the recovery of the sector.
The annual meeting of MICONS was attended by high-ranking government officials, including Commander Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, Vice Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, and the Minister of Construction, René Mesa Villafaña.
Filed under:
