Price of GI sheets seen to go up

MANILA, Philippines - The price of basic construction material is expected to go up unless the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) corrects sits new policy, local players said yesterday.

Six industry players of the steel industry representing 70 percent of the market estimated that the price of a GI roofing sheet will go up by as much as P16 because the new policy will raise the price by P2 per linear foot.

Philippine-based steel producers are now being threatened by a new government policy that may prompt higher steel prices, making it less affordable to Filipino consumers, the industry player said.

This came after the DTI Bureau of Product Standards announced they want to increase the minimum thickness for GI roofing sheets, a change that will raise the prices of the most affordable variant of the most widely accepted roofing material.

 “We believe there is no need to deviate from internationally-approved standards thru PNS 67:2009 since we’re all ISO-compliant already. It was actually the government that pushed for ISO-compliance to help industries be competitive in the global market”, the source said. “The revision may actually negate our globalization efforts.”

With an array of issues plaguing the industry, steel producers challenged newly installed Trade Secretary Jesli Lapus to prioritize the welfare of local producers, and the consuming public by implementing measures to counter external shocks that will trigger price spikes, and at the same time, support local steel production through favorable business policies.

They claimed that if these problems are not attended to, all of these will go against public interest and ultimately bear on the consumers.

They also stressed that disrupting the prices and supply of quality steel products may not be appropriate now since many Filipino households are still renovating their houses damaged by recent typhoons.

These problems also serve as deterrent to mass housing activities of both the government and the private sector. The most affordable GI sheets are largely used by the urban and rural poor.

“We urge newly-installed DTI secretary Jesli Lapus to be pro-consumer, as he has promised. In the end, just like him, we are also fighting for the well-being of consumers”.