APCMA posts highest monthly dispatches in October 2020

All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) has released overseas and domestic dispatches data of 5.735Mt for October 2020, which is in line with the statement by Lucky Cement’s CEO, Mohammad Ali Tabba. Local shares increased by 15.8 per cent to 4.859Mt from 4.195Mt in October 2019 while exports registered an increase of 11.6 per cent, rising to 0.875Mt from 0.784Mt in the same month last year.

Regional dispatches
In the northern region, domestic cement dispatches increased by 15.5 per cent to 4.165Mt in October from 3.605Mt during the year-ago period. Exports from the north increased by 8.5 per cent to 0.283Mt in October 2020 from 0.261Mt in October 2019. 

Southern region domestic cement dispatches also were up, by 17.7 per cent to 0.695Mt from 0.591Mt in October 2019. Exports from the south continued to grow and increased by 13.1 per cent to 0.591Mt in October this year from 0.523Mt in October 2019.

July-October 2020
Total cement dispatches during the first four months of the current fiscal year increased by 19.9 per cent to 19.321Mt, from 16.116Mt in July-October 2019. Domestic transmissions registered a healthy increase of 17.9 per cent, rising from 13.315Mt to 15.704Mt. Exports also showed encouraging growth increasing by 29.2 per cent from 2.8Mt to 3.617Mt.

In the south (Sindh-Baluchistan), the domestic growth remained healthy at 12.1 per cent as consumption in the first four months increased from 1.86Mt to 2.085Mt this year. The exports from the south posted a growth of 46.6 per cent in the first four months of this fiscal, which increased to 2.712Mt, from 1.85Mt during July-October 2019. 

A spokesman of APCMA said that the cement consumption could increase further if the government rationalises duties and taxes and withdraw excise duty. He said the government would generate higher revenue even with reduced taxes when cement sales increases.