09 January 2017
Nepalese cement certification delayed 09 January 2017
Nepal: Government plans to grade domestic brands of cement have been delayed due to administrative issues at the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM). The NBSM prepared a draft for the certification in the autumn of 2016 but it has failed to approve it internally before forwarding it to the Nepal Standard Council, according to the Himalayan Times. The delay has been blamed on the busy schedule of NBSM employees. Under the plan, cement produced by local companies will be certified under three quality categories: 33-grade, 43-grade and 53-grade cement.
Semen Indonesia sets US$449m aside for expansion in 2017 09 January 2017
Indonesia: Semen Indonesia has prepared US$449m to be spent on capital expansion upgrades in 2017 to support government infrastructure targets. The plan includes four cement plants with a total production capacity of 10.5Mt/yr, according to the Jakarta Post. The Rembang plant in Central Java and the Indarung VI plant in Padang, West Sumatra are in the final stages of construction. New plants in Aceh and Kupang are also being planned for completion in 2019 and 2020 respectively, although these projects will require additional funding. The cement producer is also planning to build two packaging plants in Bengkulu and Maluku and a 30MW waste heat power plant at its plant in Tuban, East Java.
Company corporate secretary Agung Wiharto added that Semen Indonesia has forecast a 5% rise in demand for cement in 2017 to 70Mt. This is mainly due to government plans to boost infrastructure development across the country.
Burnpur Cement blames late loan payment on demonetisation 09 January 2017
India: Burnpur Cement has blamed an ‘irregular’ non-payment to its lenders on demonetisation and a depressed market. It added that it was discussing the matter with its lenders, including the option of restructuring the debt. The cement producer operates two plants in the east of the country.
Pakistan cement sales to grow by 28Mt by 2020 says association 09 January 2017
Pakistan: The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association expects local cement sales to grow by 26 – 28Mt by 2020. It made the forecast as part of a six- month review of the industry. Chairman Sayeed Saigol said that local sales grew by 8.6% year-on-year to 19.8Mt in the first half of the country’s financial year to 30 June 2017 from 18.2Mt in the same period in the previous period. Based on current growth trends he added that the industry would need to increase its production capacity. To this end it is increasing capacity to 72.3Mt/yr from the current capacity of 46Mt/yr.
Despite the anticipated growth in cement sales Saigol defended import duties to the countries on the grounds that the government benefits from taxation of the local industry. He has also urged the government to support the industry by placing an anti-dumping duty on Iranian cement. Exports of cement fell by 3.5% year-on-year to 2.91Mt from 3.02Mt with a particular fall in exports to Afghanistan.