Hanoi (VNA) - Stable production and supply-demand balance has helped Vietnam’sconstruction materials industry better meet domestic demand, according to theDepartment of Construction Materials under the Ministry of Construction.

Currently, the sector is promoting exports, focusing on protecting theenvironment and saving resources, said Head of the department Pham Van Bac.

Supply and demand balance in the construction material market continues to beguaranteed. Notably, about 20.7 million tonnes of cement was consumed in thefirst months of 2019, equivalent to the same period of 2018. Domesticconsumption accounted for 12.5 million tonnes.

In recent times, the ministry has coordinated with other sectors to make timelyadjustments to ensure sufficient raw materials for cement plants to operatestably and has also encouraged rational use of minerals as materials forconstruction projects.

Accordingly, planning of products in construction materials and problemsarising in State management have been reviewed and summed up after the productplanning of this field expired on December 31, 2018, thus proposing managementsolutions replace the plan of construction materials products when it expiresunder regulations of the Law on Planning.

The ministry has paid attention to several contents related to the development strategy of the cement industry by 2030towards 2050; the construction materials development strategy in theperiod of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; the project on research anddevelopment of construction materials in service of coastal and island works to2025; and reviewing the 10 years of implementation of the unburnt construction materials programme.

Alongwith urging localities to remove manual kilns and lime kilns and increase theuse of unburnt building materials, the Ministry of Construction continues toimplement the project of promoting the treatment and use of ash, slag, gypsumof thermal power, chemicals, and fertiliser plants as raw materials forproduction of construction materials and in construction projects.

Oneof the key tasks of the Ministry is to supplement the list of locally producedconstruction materials to control and limit the import of goods manufactured locally,and handle problems related to minerals used as construction materials andminerals used as cement materials.-VNA