Pakistan: The cement industry has faced a shortage of raw material since Friday 7 December 2012 because truck owners have stopped picking up coal consignments for factories from Port Qasim, according to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). They are observing a strike against increased incidences of theft, extortion and the charges from the motorway police. The Pakistan cement industry consumes around 4.5Mt/yr of coal.
Coal and various other raw materials are not currently being transported to any cement producer from Port Qasim, which is likely to hurt production in the coming days.
Aside from the thefts and extortion by criminals, the truck owners and drivers say that motorway police have imposed impractical restrictions on truck loading. Truck owners said that the load restriction of 58.5t including 28t from the trucks themselves, is too low. This requirement severely limits the coal-carrying capacity of many trucks, making the transportation cost per tonne unrealistically high.
The APCMA has demanded the government to resolve the issues of goods carrier at the earliest hence the supplies are made regular in order to continue uninterrupted cement production.