LAHORE: The cement dispatches in the country have increased by 10.55 per cent to 35.523 million tonnes in the July-May period of the 2015-16 fiscal year.
Local sales increased 17.84 percent to 30.03 million tonnes in the period under review. Exports, however, dropped 17.41 percent to 5.48 million tonnes in July-May 2015-16.
Total domestic dispatches in north-based mills increased 16.64 percent to 24.667 million tonnes and in south-based mills 23.7 percent to 5.37 million tonnes. The government proposed a raise in federal excise duty on cement retail price to Rs1,000/tonne from five percent.
In May, local cement sales rose 22.78 percent year-on-year to 3.06 million tonnes. Exports fell to 558,000 tonnes from 560,000 tonnes. Total dispatches in May, however, increased 18.52 percent to 3.622 million tonnes.
Cement mills in north dispatched 2.5 million tonnes in May as compared to 2.04 million tonnes in the same month last fiscal, depicting a growth of 22.31 percent.
In south, the domestic dispatches were 563,942 tonnes as against 451,521 tonnes, up 24.9 percent. The spokesman urged the government to review its decision to support the growth momentum.
The data showed that exports to India climbed 33.36 percent in July-May 2015-16 over the last year. Cement exports to Afghanistan and other destinations, however, declined 10.34 and 32.39 percent, respectively in the period under review.
