Cement producers upbeat about better days

FE Team | Published: September 29, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Jasim Uddin Haroon
The import of clinker has been rising gradually following increased demand for cement in the country.
The increase in demand is mainly attributed to higher exports of the item to a neighbouring country, India.
Besides, the cement manufacturers are expecting a turnaround in the construction sector next year following the low interest-bearing housing loans to be offered by banks to the middle income people under the central bank's refinancing scheme.
A number of cement manufacturing plants are enhancing their production capacity to cope with higher export demand.
President of the Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association (BCMA) Mostafa Kamal told the FE that the cement manufacturers are importing clinkers as they are foreseeing a good export future.
"And our real estate sector might be in a better position in the coming years with RAJUK and the other development agencies approving more building plans shortly. I think, these are the main reasons for increased import of clinkers in the country," Mostafa Kamal, who is also managing director of Unique Cement Industries Limited added.
Sources at the BCMA said that some 0.23 million tonnes of clinkers are in the pipeline.
Of the total, Premier Cement is importing 40, 000 tonnes, Shah Cement 60,000 tonnes, Seven Circles 40,000 tonnes, Crown Cement 30,000 tonnes, and Royal Cement 60,000 tonnes of clinkers.
Mohammed Amirul Haque, managing director of the Premier Cement told the FE that local cement manufacturers are procuring the raw material increasingly over the past few weeks following a meeting between business community and the government high-ups on September 5 this year.
"We were all present and our confidence and trust on the government have gone up after the meeting. We are expecting a good year for the country's real estate sector," Amirul Haque, who is also the first vice president of the BCMA added.
He also said local cement manufacturers are procuring capital machineries for enhancing their capacities and around 14,000 tonnes of cement will be added to the total output each day.
Currently, the country's 38 cement factories are producing 8.2 million cement a year and the growth rate is around 6.0 per cent.
Md Alamgir Kabir, director of the M I Cement Factory Limited told the FE that the MI had recently taken steps to expand its plant size.
"Earlier, we produced 1400 tonnes a day in our factory. Now we are equipping it to produce 3000 tones of cement a day due to the export demand and local demand," director of the MI Cement added.