Translated by Tamara Barakat

The Head of the Palestinian Society for Consumer Protection, Salah Haniyeh, said that he holds the Sanad Company responsible for any imbalance created in the cement and concrete market and the real estate industry due to its insistence on increasing the price of a ton of cement by 20 shekels (excluding the VAT), at a time when its price in the Israeli market has decreased. Israel is the primary supplier of cement to Palestinians, especially through the Nesher Cement Enterprise.

Haniyeh called on the Government to prevent the Sanad Company from increasing the cement prices, as the Israeli Finance Minister announced the decrease in cement prices due to the decrease in the prices of the raw materials needed for its production. The purchasing power of Palestinians is not equal to that of Israelis. An increase in cement prices will further widen the price gap between the Palestinian and Israeli markets, and it will not reflect the prices of the supplier or the costs of import, transport and storage of cement.

He also stressed that Sanad should not enter into any debates over the decrease in cement prices in the Israeli market and whether this leads to the increase in its prices in the Palestinian market. Instead, the Company should focus on finding creative solutions for meeting the Palestinian market’s demand for cement.

The Palestinian Society for Consumer Protection has conducted several follow-ups with the specialized parties in the governorates of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, Qalqilya, and Nablus to prevent Sanad from increasing the cement prices. It also had several meetings with the Palestinian Contractors Union, real estate developers, and concrete factory owners, all of whom displayed worry over the ramifications of such a decision on the contracting, real estate development, and construction sectors. 

(Palestine Economy Portal)