Azhari Cage Urges SBA Management to Immediately Address Cement Shortage in Aceh

09 August 2026 oleh admin

Banda Aceh, dpd.go.id - The House of regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) Senator from Aceh, Azhari Cage SIP, asked the management of PT Solusi Bangun Andalas (SBA) to immediately summon and evaluate cement distributors in Aceh following the scarcity and soaring price of cement amidst the post-disaster recovery process.

According to him, cement shortages have been occurring in Aceh for almost the past month. Furthermore, cement prices have also increased above average, exceeding those in other provinces in Sumatra.

"Aceh has a cement factory, and the only one in northern Sumatra. But why is the price of cement higher than in North Sumatra?" said Azhari Cage during a working visit to the PT SBA factory in Lhoknga, Aceh Besar, Saturday (8/8/2026).

Azhari Cage was greeted by PT SBA management in Lhoknga, Aceh Besar, upon his arrival. He was accompanied by the head of the Aceh DPD RI office as well as staff and experts.

On that occasion, the Senator from Aceh also directly inspected the production facilities and cement packing room to see the production readiness and cement packaging process before distribution to the public.

Azhari stated that his office has received numerous public complaints regarding the difficulty of obtaining cement at the normal price. In some areas, the price of cement has reportedly reached Rp110,000 to Rp120,000 per sack.

"It will be ironic if Aceh has a cement factory, but cement is scarce in Aceh," said Azhari.

Azhari Cage said the cement shortage in Aceh has become a serious national concern. In addition to the shortage, cement prices have also risen above average.

According to him, this condition is a serious problem because the people of Aceh are currently undergoing rehabilitation and reconstruction after the disaster.

The shortage of cement and rising prices are considered to be placing an increasing burden on people who are trying to rebuild damaged houses and facilities.

Therefore, Azhari asked the SBA not only to ensure production runs smoothly, but also to investigate issues in the distribution chain.

"We ask Semen Andalas management to coordinate and summon these distributors to ensure that no one is involved," he said.

Azhari believes that the shortage problem should not have occurred if factory production was running normally and additional supplies from outside Aceh were also available.

During the visit, Azhari received clarification from SBA management that the company's production was not experiencing any issues. In fact, production was reported to have increased compared to the previous year.

General Manager of PT Solusi Bangun Andalas, R. Adi Santosa, said the company continues production and has extended working hours at the packing plant to increase the amount of cement that can be distributed to the public.

According to him, the company's current production capacity is at its maximum, based on the capabilities of the available machinery. PT Solusi Bangun Andalas has a production capacity of approximately 1.8 million tons of cement per year, or approximately 5,400 tons per day.

Regarding distribution, management stated that approximately 2,000 tons of cement per day leave Lhoknga, while approximately 3,000 tons are shipped to Lhokseumawe. Distribution is carried out by land and sea.

For sea routes, shipments are said to go through Malahayati Port and then to Lhokseumawe to meet the needs of the Aceh region. Additionally, additional supplies are provided by the Semen Padang factory to meet Aceh's cement needs.

SBA also stated that the price of cement leaving the factory for the Aceh region has not increased, even though operational costs such as coal, fuel, and a number of spare parts have increased.

Adi explained that market pricing issues are beyond the company's jurisdiction. SBA can only ensure that the price of cement leaving the factory remains in line with established policies.

On the other hand, the company asks distributors to ensure distribution is carried out evenly, especially to areas in need.

Azhari said that this issue would be the subject of discussion for his party in a working meeting with the relevant ministries and state-owned enterprises.

"We're not looking for who's right or wrong. We want to determine where the obstacles are and what the issues are that are causing the cement shortage in Aceh," he said.

He hopes that concrete steps will be taken immediately so that the shortage and increase in cement prices do not hamper the development process and community recovery after the disaster.

"Don't let the price and scarcity of cement become an obstacle for people who are rebuilding," he said.