As the public is being asked to pay more for cement for the fourth time in just over two years, there are calls for Trinidad Cement Ltd's (TCL) monopoly to be broken.
The first increase came in December 2021, and hikes have followed each year since, resulting in a cumulative jump of over 30 per cent.
Labouring to cast a vehicle ramp in the midday sun at a small property on Harris Street, San Fernando, on Monday is Shammie Ramdass, 55. He is cementing in place a 12-foot length of pipe in a drain, while Bickram Ramnanan, 78, sits on his pickup tray supervising the project.
Lying next to the wet concrete in the road are two bags of 42.5 kg TCL premium plus cement. It was taken on credit from a hardware in Esperance earlier that morning for a price Ramnanan can't quite recall.
However, he knows had he acted a few days earlier, it would have been cheaper, as that same day (February 19) the cost from the factory went up by 6.63 per cent. TCL cited increased costs as the reason for this recent hike.
"Them just have a monopoly and they're just doing what they want to do.
"And it's not fair to the construction business, because you use a lot of cement in construction. As a single-unit item, you're using a tremendous amount of cement. So if you put a price that high in cement alone, that is a real negative impact on a man's ability to complete his construction," he said.
The two are among many who believe Rock Hard Cement, imported from Turkiye, was the superior and cost-effective product on the market until the company ceased operations in 2021, saying there were challenges from the government and discriminatory policies.
Ramdass, a small contractor for over 30 years, said while he and other similar-scaled businesses will feel a pinch from the increase, it's the larger contractors and ultimately customers who will take a bigger blow to their pockets from the increase.
Ramnanan believes TCL would have been more hesitant to increase its prices if Rock Hard were still on the market.
TCL announced earlier this month that prices of eco cement and premium cement would increase by 6.63 and 7.69 per cent, respectively.
[caption id="attachment_1065311" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Cement waiting to be loaded at SNS Hardware Supplies, Cipero Street, San Fernando on Monday. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
The ex-factory price of a 42.5 kg sack of eco cement – the price before it is taken from the factory to the hardware stores – will go up from $49.10 to $52.88 VAT inclusive, while prices for premium plus cement will increase from $53.81 to $57.38.
Dansteel, Marabella manager Jimmy Cumming shared this view, saying he believes customers would prefer to have a choice in what product they buy.
"Once there is competition, you will see that then people have a choice. But right now, there is no choice. So they have to (buy the TCL cement)," he said.
CEO of Built to Last Roofing and Hardware in Freeport Terrence Kalloo believes Rock Hard was a perfect competitor to TCL, as its presence and penetration in the loc
