Islamabad, Sep8: The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) announced that cement despatches in August 2024 decreased by 25.68% year-over-year. According to the information, less cement was shipped 3.366 million tons than in August 2023 (4.528 million tons). Unprecedented tax rises are to blame for the drop, as they have drastically increased cement prices and decreased demand.
The amount of cement shipped domestically dropped by 27.54% to 2.752 million tons, while exports went down by 16% to 613,857 tons in August 2024 from 730,755 tons in August 2023. The overall despatches for the first two months of the fiscal year decreased by 17.82%, with exports falling 1.65% and domestic sales declining by 20.73%.
Regionally, mills in the North shipped 2.530 million tons, down 22.20% from the previous year, while mills in the South shipped 835,245 tons, down 34.54%. In order to support the faltering construction industry and stop additional job losses, the group requested the government to review its tax policies.
