Philippines: Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ruth Castelo says that the government is considering implementing a suggested retail price (SRP) on cement. However, cement companies have previously resisted sharing information with the government to help it devise a SRP, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The DTI is considering publishing a SRP for cement due to consumer concerns about prices rises following newly introduced tariffs on imports. To do so it will need cement producer costs for labour, raw materials, fuels and logistics.

Pakistan: Rising coal prices have reduced the profit at Fecto Cement in the half-year to 31 December 2018. Its profit after tax nearly halved to US$0.75m from US$1.63m. Its net turnover rose slightly to US$17.8m. Local cement sales volumes dropped by 9% to 0.32Mt from 0.35Mt and exports declined by 33% to 29,500t from 44,300t.

Pakistan: A slowdown in construction activity has reduced Cherat Cement’s sales. Its local cement sales volumes fell by 12% year-on-year to 0.90Mt in the half-year to 31 December 2018 from 1.03Mt in the same period in 2017. Its exports declined by 23% to 0.18Mt from 0.23Mt. The cement producer’s net turnover decreased by 7% to US$50.3m from US$54.3m. Its net profit fell by 24% to US$7.35m from US$9.65m. The cement producer noted that the price of coal had risen.

Cherat Cement said that it had commissioned a third line at its integrated plant during the reporting period. The new line has a clinker production capacity of 6700t/day and it includes a waste heat recovery unit. Following the upgrade, Cherat Cement’s plant has a production capacity of 4.5Mt/yr. The company also installed Wartsila dual fuel engines. These generators have been ordered in anticipation of the completion of new gas pipeline to the plant.

Kenya: The East Africa Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) made a loss of US$12m in the half-year to 31 December 2018 compared to a loss of US$9.7m in the same period in 2017. It blamed the loss on a ‘difficult’ market and production issues, according to the Standard newspaper.