PT Semen Indonesia plans to increase its number of packing plants to 30 over the next two years as part of the company's strategy of reducing logistic costs and bringing its product closer to customers.

Indonesia's largest cement producer is set to inaugurate a packing plant in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, this month, company secretary, Agung Wiharto, told Antara News. "The presence of Banjarmasin's packing plant that will soon be inaugurated in January 2014, will further strengthen the existence and expansion of the company`s businesses," Agung stated. This packing plant will have the capacity to store 600,000tpa of cement and is equipped with two packing lines with a capacity of 2200 bags per hour as well as a 120tph rotary packer for bagged cement.

"All packing plants, which spread over several areas from Sumatra to Papua, have special ports to boost efficiency in terms of transport costs and distribution," he explained.

He added that the company has also set up a packing plant in Sorong, West Papua, to meet the growing demand of cement in the region.

PT Semen Indonesia, has packing plants spread across Aceh, Belawan, Padang, Dumai and Batam in Sumatra; Ciwandan in West Java, Tanjung Priok in Jakarta; Tuban, Gresik and Banyuwangi in East Java; Banjarmasin, Samarinda and Celukan Bawang in Kalimantan; Tonasa, Makassar, Palu and Bitung in Sulawesi; Ambon in Maluku and Sorong in Papua.

"The company is and will continue to increase the number of packing plants in order to reduce logistic cost, that will invariably make the price of its cement products more affordable," he explained.