Indonesia sales growth slows, Jan-Sept

Indonesian sales growth has slowed over the first nine months of this year despite hitting a monthly record in September.

Data from the Indonesian Cement Association (ASI) showed that domestic sales totalled 41.58Mt between Jan-September 2013, an increase of 5.3 per cent compared to 39.48Mt in the same period of last year.

The YoY growth in the first nine months was lower than the 7.5 per cent growth recorded in the same period of last year. It was also slower than the 5.7 per cent advance in the Jan-August period of this year.

“Many factors affected the [January-September] growth, including commodity prices – which have not recovered and are still affecting demand outside Java – and stalled infrastructure projects,” ASI chairman Widodo Santoso, told the Jakarta Post. “But we’ve seen a monthly record of 5.3Mt this September.”

Mr Santoso remains confident that cement demand will rise by six per cent this year, slower than the stellar double-digit rises enjoyed over the last two years but signaling the start of a more sustainable growth rate.