Lahore - The growth in cement exports in March 2016 was very encouraging for the industry, enabling it to utilize almost 95 percent of its installed capacity. APCMA Chairman Muhammad Ali Tabba said the industry has full faith in the economy of the country and it has kept on increasing its capacity on regular basis, while further increase in capacity to the tune of around 26,000 tons per day is expected to be available after the commencement of DG Khan, Lucky, Cherat and Attock Cement expansions. Other major players are also working on expansion plans – the spokesman added.

He said that despite utilization of around 95 percent capacity the industry is being accused of not using their idle capacity and of forming a cartel to keep the rates high. He said the two factors that prove this accusation as baseless are the utilization of installed capacity to maximum and the difference in maximum retail prices in different regions of the country that ranges from Rs. 482 per bag to Rs. 550 per bag. “The industry is neither managing despatches nor the prices and is operating on the principles of free market economy,” he asserted.