Domestic cement consumption reached 2.32Mt in  February, an increase of 13.7 per cent from a year ago with all markets reporting  a growth in consumption, according to a report by the Indonesian Cement  Association (ASI). The report said industry-wide cement exports during the month rose 145.4 per cent to 244,031 tons. It said domestic consumption during the first two months was up five per cent at  4.60Mt, while exports rose 38.5 per cent to 494,802t.  Among the various domestic markets, Jakarta’s cement consumption  was up 12.6 per cent year-on-year at 268,801t in February; West Java up 28 per cent  to 395,751t; and East Java up 9.4 per cent at 322,015t.
    
Cement sales of Indonesia’s largest cement maker PT Semen Gresik rose 18.5 per cent year-on-year in February to 1.18Mt but fell 0.2 per cent to 2.226Mt in the first two months of the year. Semen Gresik said its domestic sales in February reached 1.06Mt, up 14.9 per cent from a year ago, while exports rose 61.6 per cent to 125,058t. It said all the three operating units -- PT Semen Gresik, PT Semen Tonasa and PT Semen Padang -- saw higher sales that month.