Hanoi (VNA) – A development strategy is being drawnup for the building material industry for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, asthe management and development of the sector are still facing a number ofshortcomings.

According to a report at a working session inHanoi on June 18, the building material industry has continually been investedand developed over the past years. The design capacity and production output ofsome products have risen twice or thrice compared to 10 – 15 years ago. Thanksto product diversity and quality meeting developed countries’ standards, thesector has met the growing domestic demand and had its products exported.

In particular, Vietnam is currently the fifthbiggest cement manufacturer in the world, after China, India, the US, andRussia. Its cement output has doubled within 10 years, from 45.5 million tonnesin 2009 to about 100 million tonnes, turning the country from a cement andclinker importer to the world’s largest exporter of these commodities, withover 30 million tonnes shipped aboard in 2018 – doubling the figure of Thailandthat stood second.

However, there remain a number of shortcomingsin the management and development of building materials, participants heard.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam ConcreteAssociation Tran Ba Viet said the country ranks fifth in terms of cementproduction, but the cement export value is still low while this is an energy-and natural resource-intensive sector.

He suggested considering the export of precastconcrete blocks which have much higher value while minising the shipment ofclinker and cement.

Echoing the view, Chairman of the VietnamAssociation for Building Materials Tong Van Nga said the country is exportingmany cheap building materials. Meanwhile, it has yet to optimise by-productsand waste of other industries, such as coal residues of cement and chemicalproduction and thermal power plants, to produce building materials.

At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh DinhDung said the building material sector has obtained major achievements but isstill facing difficulties and challenges, including low content of creativityand added value in products, lack of new products able to compete with regionaland global rivals, and insufficient attention to research and development.

He noted the most important task for theindustry in the time ahead is meeting domestic demand so as to contribute tothe construction sector and socio-economic development.

As global demand for building materials willalso increase, the development of this sector will also help boost export, headded.

To that end, a development strategy for2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, is necessary, the Deputy PM said, requestingthat it must associate the sector’s development with modern technologyapplication, natural resources and energy saving, waste recycle, low carbonemissions, climate change adaptation, and environmental protection./.