Govt releases granite from stockpile to ease disruption in supply
By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 02 March 2007 1749 hrs

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SINGAPORE : The government is releasing granite from its stockpile to ease the disruption in supply from Indonesia in the past few days.

In a statement, the National Development Ministry and Building and Construction Authority said the Indonesian authorities had stepped up checks on barges carrying granite to Singapore, following the recent export ban on sand to the Republic.

The statement added that some of these barges carrying granite had also been detained.

Separately, recent media reports said Indonesia's Navy had also detained 13 vessels for trying to smuggle sand into Singapore after the ban came into effect in early February.

The Ministry said it would procure granite from alternative sources and has encouraged the private sector to follow suit.

The price of granite is expected to rise due to higher transportation costs should the situation persist.

The government will work out co-sharing arrangements with contractors and suppliers of concrete for existing public sector projects.

It is also working with the industry to diversify its sources for construction materials and adopt more sustainable construction methods to reduce the dependence on concrete. - CNA/ms