Local press is reporting that Pakistan has witnessed a slight growth in cement dispatches over the first 10 months of this fiscal year. A total of 27.986 million t was sold from July 2013 to April 2014, an increase of 1.17% y/y, while the local market dispatches grew to 21.3 million t – a 2.7% increase. Reports suggest that capacity utilisation has surpassed 75% over the period in question, and is expected to increase to 80% by the end of this month.
In May, Pakistan’s total cement dispatches rose 6.3% y/y, reaching 3.07 million t. Domestic sales were up, while export volumes declined. Adding in these figures, it can be seen that from July – May, dispatches reached 31.05 million t, a 1.7% increase y/y.
Pakistan’s domestic market is being buoyed by the government’s Public Sector Development Programme and growth in the private housing sector. The Public Sector Development Programme provides budgetary resources for development projects and programmes in Pakistan and is currently funding highway development and earthquake reconstruction projects.
Edited from various sources by Katherine Guenioui