Semen Indonesia first-quarter sales rise 3.5%

PT Semen Indonesia, the country’s leading cement producer, sold 6.16Mt of cement to the domestic market during Jan-March 2014, a 3.5 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

During the first three months of this year, Indonesian consumption increased by 3.7 per cent, a much slower rate compared to the 8.6 per cent growth registered in 1Q13. The 1Q14 slowdown was partly attributed to adverse weather conditions in January and February but domestic demand rebounded in March, increasing by 8.5 per cent.

The Indonesia Cement Association has since reiterated its forecast for 5-6 per cent growth in 2014. Semen Indonesia is also expecting to report six per cent rise in cement sales this year, its corporate secretary Agung Wiharto, told the Jakarta Post.