As part of its regular contacts with the various Government departments, Ciment Català held a meeting last January 11 with the minister for Enterprise and Work, Roger Torrent, and the general secretary of the department, Albert Castellanos. On behalf of the Association of Cement Manufacturers of Catalonia, the delegation was headed by the president of the entity, Salvador Fernández Capo, and the vice-president Carmen Díaz.
The representatives of Ciment Català made the political leaders aware of the current situation of the sector, affected by a lack of frank recovery of the domestic market and a certain stagnation of activity caused by the evolution of costs and the low investment in the infrastructures that the country needs. The cement industry, with 4 plants in Catalonia that employ 3,000 employees, 92% of them on permanent contracts, meets European emissions targets, and is one of the most proactive in implementing the principles of circular economy.
For all of this, they were asked to promote policies favorable to the sector. Among other aspects, they insisted on the imperative need to build new infrastructures and to rationalize fiscal pressure, two actions by public administrations that are key to their future survival. The meeting was marked by the spirit expressed by Ciment Català for improvement and progress in all areas (technical, environmental and management).
Finally, the need for institutional support and the commitment to be efficient to maintain an industrial activity in Catalonia that clearly reverses the evolution and progression of the country was highlighted. In this sense, ensuring the future supply of mineral resources is essential to make possible the infrastructures the country needs, as well as the legislative and parliamentary defense of the industry.