Stone aggregates worth millions remain unsold at private stone crushing units in Gelephu.
Gelephu has four private stone crushing units and a fifth one is owned by the Natural Resources Development Corporation Limited. The crushing units, especially, the private ones have between 150- 400 tipper-trucks of aggregates in stock worth Nu. 1.5 – 4 million.
Owners of the private crushing units say there is no demand for aggregates in the local market. “The first reason for decline in demand is due to the many crushing units here, and second is because of the suspension of housing loan. Since there is no loan, construction is less and there are no buyers of aggregates”, says Hem Raj Ghalley, General Manager, Bhutan Green Aggregate and Stone Crushing Unit.
The owner of the year-old Shershong Stone Crushing Unit, Tashi Wangchuk, says he is yet to recover the amount he invested. He feels the situation would be better if they were allowed to export to India like the government-owned NRDCL.
The stone crushing units have to seek permission from the Department of Geology and Mines to export aggregates.
The private units also complain that it is difficult to compete with NRDCL as its rates are lower than theirs.
The Unit Manager of NRDCL, Damcho Wangdi, disagrees, “I heard from some buyers that our price is a bit higher than theirs (private). There have been complaints over why we cannot sell at a lower rate being a government-owned company.”
