| Karachi: The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) has shared the statistics reporting a decrease in the demand for cement during February, according to news published in the national dailies on March 4.
Read: APCMA records dip in local cement sales; shares statistics
As per the details, the cement demand in February decreased by 9% and 13.4% in the eight-month fiscal year 2023 (8MFY23) due to the construction slowdown and uncertain economic conditions. The total cement dispatched was 4.040 million tonnes in February, which showed a 7% decrease from 4.348 million tonnes last year. The local sales stood at 3.590 million tonnes this year and in February 2022, they were at 3.943 million tonnes. However, the exports have increased by 11%, from 405,489 tonnes to 449,940 tonnes.
Moreover, the total cement despatches during 8MFY23 were 29.81 million tonnes, which showed a decrease of 16.65% from 35.763 million tonnes recorded in the same period last year. The domestic sales were 27.207 million tonnes in comparison to 31.416 million during 8MFY22.
Read: Cement consumption fell by 16% in May: APCMA
An APCMA official (whose name was not disclosed) highlighted that the economic situation has worsened, which poses operational problems. He went on to say that the construction industry needs spare parts and other consumable products timely to ensure stable operations. The spokesperson requested the government to come up with industry-friendly policies to bring the industry out of this situation. |
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