Indonesia to triple cement imports

Indonesia to triple cement imports

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will more than triple its cement imports this year to meet increasing demand, Minister of Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo said yesterday.

"This year's cement imports will increase by 218 percent to 3.5 million tons, including clinker -- raw material for cement manufacturing -- from 1.1 million tons last year," Tunky told the House of Representatives' Commission VI, which deals with industry, mining, manpower and investment, in a hearing here yesterday.

He predicted that demand for cement will increase by 16 percent to 27.9 million tons this year from 24.1 million tons in 1995.

Tunky said that to anticipate growing demand, he has required existing state-owned and private-owned cement companies to optimize productivity.

Indonesia's cement plants currently have a total production capacity of about 26.5 million tons a year.

The minister said the construction of some cement plants will also be accelerated to cope with growing demand.

He said PT Semen Tonasa will start operating its fourth production unit in South Sulawesi with an annual production capacity of 2.3 million tons this year.

PT Semen Padang in West Sumatra and PT Indocement in West Java will also raise their production capacities by 0.3 million tons each and PT Semen Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara by 0.15 million tons.

Tunky said that Indonesia will export some 500,000 tons of cement this year during a season of low demand. (kod)