Poland’s cement usage likely to increase in 2005

Poland’s cement usage is likely to increase for another consecutive year in 2005, even up to five per cent, from a three per cent growth in 2004, Cement Producers Lobby deputy president Andrzej Tekiel said on Tuesday.   "I expect the [cement] consumption to increase by 4-5 per cent," Tekiel, also a president of Lafarge Cement Polska said. "The five per cent is based on optimistic assumptions."  

Other lobby representatives are not so optimistic and wait for additional data on cement usage, mainly second quarter, as the beginning of the year was not a strongest for the industry.   In fact, Poland’s cement sales fell by 24 per cent y-on-y to 1.1Mt in January-March period from a corresponding period in 2004. Last year’s results were effected by Poland’s pre-accession craze and a higher Value Added Tax artifficially increasing sales in first half of 2004. Overall, Poland’s cement production increased by 4.6 per cent y-on-y in 2004 to 11.06Mt.