Cement controversy deepens

By Arthur Wamanan


Controversy over sub-standard cement continues with relevant state entities passing the buck to one another while the construction industry leaders say they will always go by the SLS standards.

Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) says it cannot guarantee the quality of the said consignment while the construction industry says that they need to go by the SLS standards to guarantee the quality of the construction they undertake.

Meanwhile, the importer of the cement, the National Cooperative Council (NCC) has said it can guarantee the quality of the cement adding that they had released the consignment to the market last Wednesday. 

Confusion over the consignment arose when the SLSI alleged that the Pakistan company which had been given the SLS certification had packed the consignment after its certification was suspended over the quality issue.
The use of the SLS mark had also created confusion with the SLSI accusing the said company of having used it after it had received the suspension order.
The SLSI refused to authorise the consignment of 14,000 cement bags in question recently on the grounds that the company product had failed to conform to Sri Lanka standards and added that it had taken steps to call for explanation from the cement company in Pakistan for using the SLS mark despite having been issued with a suspension order.

The SLSI has already issued suspension orders on four such foreign companies, its Director General, Dr. L.N. Senaweera said.

Meanwhile, NCC challenged the claims by the SLSI and took up the responsibility for the quality of the cement they had imported.
A spokesperson for the NCC said the order was placed in March this year, a few months before the SLSI had issued a suspension order.
The spokesperson added that the company would not have been allowed to export the consignment if it did not conform to international standards.
The spokesperson also added that there were certain companies that were recognised by the Customs and their items could be released without the approval of the SLSI.


“We know that we have brought down good quality cement. We say this with responsibility,” said NCC Secretary, Bandu Ranawaka.
However the SLSI said that the consignment was packed after the issuance of the suspension order. The suspension order was issued after continuous assessment by the institution on the quality of its product.

The SLSI said that it was the authorised body to evaluate the standards. “SLSI has the only laboratory to test cement that has also been accredited by the Swedish accreditation company, Swedac,” Senaweera added.
The construction industry, however, maintained that it would continue to go with the SLSI standards despite claims by the NCC.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chamber of Construction Industries Sri Lanka (CCISL), Dhakshitha Thalgodapitiya said that the SLSI was the recognised standards institution in Sri Lanka. “We will go with the standards of the SLSI,” he said.

He added that the members of the CCISL have been made aware of the standards of the cement and was fully aware of the issues involved.


http://www.nation.lk/2011/08/14/news2.htm