Nepal's cement demand growth remains subdued

Nepal’s cement demand has not been growing as anticipated, despite the country becoming self-reliant on cement, according to the Kathmandu Post.

"The demand for cement has remained stable," said Dhruba Thapa, president of the Nepal Cement Manufacturers' Association. "I see this as a seasonal effect of the construction slowdown, particularly during the monsoon. But the issues that concern us are the government's continued low capital spending and sluggish demand for cement in the domestic market despite almost zero imports."

During the first three months of the FY19-20, Nepal imported cement worth NPR199 (US$1.735m), a 13 per cent decline over the year-ago period, according to the Trade and Export Promotion Centre.

"As no new project has been initiated in the areas of iron, steel, and cement this year, lending in the sector has also not gone up as expected," said Gyanendra Dhungana, president of Nepal Bankers' Association.