Indonesia: Cement sales in Indonesia have hit a record high of 5.16Mt in September 2012, according to data from the country's largest cement producer PT Semen Gresik. The amount represents a 34.4% rise compared to the same month in 2011 when sales were 3.84Mt.
September 2012 sales were boosted by increased monthly sales on the main islands of Java and Sumatra. However sales on the island of Moluccas and Papua fell by 21.7% on a monthly basis. The strong September 2012 sales follow a dip in sales in August 2012 due to fewer working days during religious festivities. Domestic cement sales in Indonesia fluctuate with factors such as holidays and government project completion deadlines.
"We expect domestic volume growth of 12.6% in 2012 and 10.8% in 2013, helped by strong marketing sales," commented Teguh Hartanto, an analyst for Bahana Securities in Jakarta.
