Roofing sheet manufacturing enterprises 'gasping' waiting for policy decisions

Workers at a roofing factory are on their shift.

Nearly 20 years have passed since the different opinions on asbestos, but domestic fiber cement roofing sheet manufacturing enterprises are still "gasping" to survive and are producing at a low level, waiting for the final decision from the Government, after prolonged debates.

In fact, the annual consumption of roofing panels has decreased, forcing dozens of businesses to temporarily suspend operations or change their production and business models, and thousands of workers have lost their jobs or taken indefinite unpaid leave.

Many petitions and calls for help

The Investment Law has stipulated that white asbestos - an important input material in the production of fibro-cement roofing sheets - is a conditional business line. However, roofing sheet manufacturing enterprises have for many years had to struggle to cope with the consequences of campaigns to ban white asbestos or encourage people to boycott this type of roofing sheet.

Rumors about cases of mesothelioma caused by exposure to white asbestos have made many people confused and afraid. Meanwhile, research by the Construction Hospital - Ministry of Construction and research by the Ministry of Health over the past 20 years has proven that no cases of mesothelioma caused by exposure to white asbestos at work or living under a roof covered with fibro-cement sheets have been found.

In the petition No. 07/HHTLVN sent to the Party, the National Assembly and the Government agencies, ministries and branches on April 22, 2019, the Vietnam Roofing Association proposed that it is necessary to clearly distinguish the difference between white asbestos fibers and fibers belonging to the brown and blue asbestos groups. Although they have the same trade name, they are different in structure, physical and chemical properties and the level of impact.

Brown and blue asbestos with rough, needle-like fiber structure have caused many serious lung diseases and have been banned for many years worldwide. White asbestos fibers are still allowed to be used under control in 139 countries and territories, including major powers such as the US, Russia, China, India, Southeast Asian countries... to produce fiber cement products such as roof tiles, water tanks, water pipes or friction, insulation, heat insulation products such as boiler gaskets, brake pads for elevators, cars, airplanes, fireproof clothing...

The Director of Trung Nam Roofing Factory, in a letter of appeal to the Government, suggested that some organizations, citing public health as the reason, went to residential areas to pilot the dismantling of fibro-cement panels to replace them with corrugated iron sheets. They wore protective clothing and gas masks when dismantling roofs to film and take photos, then spread propaganda to cause anxiety, insecurity, and fear among the people. "While we, the workers, have been directly exposed to asbestos for decades, every year when we have occupational health check-ups and chest X-rays, we are all healthy and have no problems."

Mr. Le Van Nghia - General Director of Dong Anh Investment, Construction and Construction Materials Joint Stock Company shared: "We hope for stable policies, the State to have a clear viewpoint in the face of controversies so that businesses can either change their business model, or feel secure in production and invest in standard technology lines. Businesses are committed to fully meeting the requirements of management agencies."

High market demand and consumer trends require innovation, but businesses cannot do it.

Present in Vietnam since 1963, fiber cement roofing sheets are useful for people in remote areas, coastal areas, and low-income households because they do not warp in sudden climate changes, unlike corrugated iron sheets that are easily rusted by seawater vapor, salt mist, kitchen smoke, or acids in livestock and poultry manure.

The corrugated iron sheet is rusted by the effects of weather, kitchen smoke or poultry manure.

However, over the years this type of panel has retained its traditional color and design while people's trends and needs have changed.

During a survey trip on Russia's experience in managing and safely using white asbestos organized by the Ministry of Construction last June with the participation of representatives of relevant ministries, departments and branches, Deputy Minister of Construction - Mr. Nguyen Van Sinh wondered why Vietnamese enterprises do not invest in technology to make beautiful products with diverse types like those of Russia, Brazil and Thailand?

In fact, manufacturing enterprisesfiber cement roofing sheetsready to invest in high-tech machinery systems to diversify products while still having cheap panel prices, suitable for the needs of the poor. However, the investment is really too risky when the business does not know when the factory will be closed. The prospect of losing tens of billions of dong makes the business only dare to operate at a moderate level.

Colored fibro-cement roofing sheets produced in Russia are as cheap as traditional fibro-cement sheets in Vietnam.

Media campaigns to ban the use of white asbestos and propose switching to PVA fiber from Japan have praised this fiber as an effective solution, eliminating the risk of disease. However, the pilot PVA fiber sheet factory project - Navifico Joint Stock Company in Ho Chi Minh City funded by Japan closed in 2017 after 3 years of production because the fiber sheet is brittle, easy to break and the price is twice as high as fiber cement sheet.

Since 2008, Tan Thuan Cuong Joint Stock Company - Hai Duong has also had to switch to using white asbestos to produce fiber cement roofing sheets to maintain the factory's operations, create jobs for workers and pay workers' salaries. Currently, Tan Thuan Cuong Factory is also a leading enterprise in the industry in diversifying products, testing flat sheets, colored sheets and being well received by the consumer market.

The trillion-dollar burden of banning white asbestos

According to the research report Assessing the economic impact of banning white asbestos in Vietnam - The case of Fibro-cement roofing sheets (2015) by the Central Institute for Management Research - Ministry of Planning and Investment, the economic cost the Government must invest if replacing more than 80 million m²Replacing the fibro cement roofing sheets that people are using with another type of sheet will cost 454.5 trillion VND, not including the cost of destroying the replacement sheets.

Consumers would also have to pay VND183.5 trillion more if they replaced it withPVA roofing sheetsBecause this type of sheet has a higher price but a shorter usage time and ranges from 300 to 600 trillion if choosing a higher priced alternative product. 395.2 billion VND is the economic cost for the fiber cement roofing sheet manufacturing industry when having to change technology, install equipment and retrain workers.

Constructions made of fiber cement products and new panels are cheap in the Russian Federation.

Therefore, enterprises producing fibro cement roofing sheets expect a fair decision, based on legal basis, scientific evidence and practical basis; at the same time, this final decision needs to be complied with and implemented by relevant agencies, organizations and individuals, even if they do not have the same goals and interests.