The latest data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) shows that cement sales in Pakistan increased by 6.23% to 17.12 million t in 1H15, compared to 16.11 million t recorded in 1H14.
According to an APCMA spokesman, the rise in sales was driven by growth in domestic cement consumption during the first half of the financial year. Cement plants operating in northern Pakistan recorded a 10.5% increase in domestic consumption and a rise in sales from 9.9 million t in 1H14 to 10.96 million t in 1H14. Southern cement plants recorded domestic sales of 2.1 million t, an increase of 2.39%.
In the second part of this abridged article, Lucky Cement’s Noman Hasan discusses the company’s operations in Pakistan and the huge potential of the country’s cement industry.
According to officials from Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue, the government is likely to raise the federal excise duty (FED) on cement by some Rs.100/t in the upcoming budget.