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Holcim Indonesia’s profit dips as construction projects slow 06 August 2014
Indonesia: Holcim Indonesia has posted a slight dip in its net profit in the first half of 2014, which it attributed to rising costs and a slowdown in the construction and property sectors.
Sales in the first half of 2014 grew by 10% year-on-year to US$426m, stronger than the 7% growth reported for the same period of 2013 when compared to 2012. Despite the sales increase, Holcim fell short of boosting its net profit, which dropped by 3.8% to US$38.1m from US$39.6m in the same period of 2013.
On 1 May 2014, the Indonesian government raised electricity rates by 38.9% or 64.7%, depending on businesses' power needs. The increases, however, will be gradual until the end of 2014. Holcim, which must deal with a 64.7% increase in electricity rates, recorded an increase in costs of sales to US$292m, while its operating costs went up by 15.9% to US$61.6m. In addition, its first half foreign exchange losses surged to US$2.34m, compared with US$871,000 in the same period of 2013.
Holcim has gradually increased its selling prices since late 2013 to mitigate its rising expenses. Along with other industry players, Holcim also had to bear weaker property and construction demand, which saw project delays as a result of legislative and presidential elections, as well as unfavourable regulations and macroeconomic conditions.
Holcim Indonesia's president director Eamon Ginley said that, despite a number of obstacles in 2014, the company was optimistic that it would at least secure a higher annual revenue compared to 2013's figure, assisted by a boost in capacity from its Tuban facilities in East Java. The company has invested US$800m to construct two 1.7Mt/yr capacity cement plants, Tuban 1 and Tuban 2. Tuban 1 began operating in October 2013. Tuban 2 is due to commence operations in the first quarter of 2015.
Krasnoyarsk Cement’s new dry-process line nears launch 06 August 2014
Russia: Krasnoyarsk Cement plans to launch its new dry-process cement line at the Krasnoyarsk Cement plant in 2014. The launch date will depend on market conditions. Construction will cost Euro262m in total, Euro19.5m of which has already been spent. Construction works began in 2009.
Tasek’s net profit up by 43% in second quarter 06 August 2014
Malaysia: Tasek Corp Bhd has announced a net profit of US$9.7m in the second quarter of 2014, an increase of 42.5% from a net profit of US$6.8m in the same quarter of 2013. Its revenue was 20.8% higher year-on-year at US$53.6m, compared with US$44. The company said that the higher revenue was mainly due to higher demand for cement in Malaysia, with its concrete and aggregate units performing less well.
For the six months to 30 June 2014, Tasek's net profit climbed by 28.7% year-on-year to US$17.6m from US$13.6m in the same period in 2013. Revenue grew by 20.3% to US$104m from US$86.1m a year earlier.
"The ongoing government projects under the Economic Transformation Programme such as the MRT (mass rapid transit) and LRT (light rail transit) line extension projects, are expected to continue to lead the construction sector's growth in the remaining months of 2014," said the company in a statement to the Malaysia Bourse. It anticipates that its performance will 'continue to be positive' in the third quarter of 2014.
Turkish and Ivorian firms team up for new grinding plant 06 August 2014
Ivory Coast: The Turkish cement firm Limak Çimento, a unit of local conglomerate Limak Holding, has announced that it will team up with Ivory Coast-based company Akfirbat to set up a cement grinding and packaging plant in the Ivory Coast in what will be a US$50m project. The two companies held a signing ceremony in the Turkish capital Ankara for the establishment of a joint venture company named Limak Afrika SA.
The plant, to be built in the Ivorian capital Abidjan, will have the capacity to grind 1.0Mt/yr of cement as well as being equipped to produce 1.0Mm3/yr of concrete. Construction will start later on in 2014 with operations expected to begin in October 2015. It is proposed that the output of the plant will be sold in the Ivory Coast as well as in other African countries.
Votorantim and Molins join forces in new firm Yacuces 06 August 2014
South America: Brazilian conglomerate Votorantim has teamed up with Spanish company Cementos Molins to expand their cement businesses in Latin America through newly formed cement company Yacuces.
Votorantim will have a 51% stake in the joint venture. The agreement involves the purchase of 66.7% of Bolivian cement company Itacamba for US$18.6m by Yacuces.
According to a statement filed with Spain's capital markets regulating commission CNVM, Itacamba has plans to invest around US$220m in the next two years to build a cement factory. Votorantim and Molins already have business partnerships in Argentina and Uruguay through cement companies Cementos Avellaneda and Cementos Artigas.