Cement sales increased 57.44% to stand at 3.212 million tonnes in July 2023, against 2.040 million tonnes during the same month last fiscal, data showed on Thursday. According to the data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), the cement makers sold 2.776 million tonnes in the domestic market during July, compared to 1.887 million tonnes in July 2022, showing an increase of 47.15%. Exports also increased by a massive 183.91%, as volumes went up from 153,517 tonnes in July 2022 to 435,854 tonnes in July 2023. Region-wise breakdown showed that north-based cement makers despatched 2.473 million tonnes, up 46.54% against 1.688 million tonnes despatched in July 2022. Units down south sold 739,376 tonnes of cement during July 2023, which was 109.61 percent more compared to 352,747 tonnes sold during July 2022. Domestically, factories up north sold 2.351 million tonnes of cement in July 2023, up 45.37% from 1.617 million tonnes sold in July 2022. Similarly, units down south based despatched 425,336 tonnes of cement in local markets during July 2023 which was 57.84% more compared to the despatches of 269,477 tonnes during July 2022. A breakdown of export data revealed that north-based manufacturers send abroad 121,814 tonnes in July 2023, up 73.41% from 70,247 tonnes in July 2022. Exports from the south also increased by a massive 277.13% to stand at 314,040 tonnes in July 2023 from 83,270 tonnes during the same month last year. APCMA spokesman emphasised that the economic stability of the country was very much dependent on a stable government. He mentioned that although compared to last year, the start of the current fiscal year looked promising, the fact of the matter was that domestic despatches in July 2023 were almost 20% less than in June 2023. “So, compared to last month, there was a decline,” he added. He also expressed concerns over the rising cost of production. “Provincial government has increased the rate of royalty from Rs115 per tonne to Rs250 per tonne,” he pointed out. The rate of electricity has also been increased by almost Rs7.5 per unit, while the recent increase in fuel cost of around Rs20 per litre has further impacted the freight cost, the spokesman added. However, he was positive that this fiscal year would be better for the sector due to expected investments in large-scale projects.