The price of a 50 kg bag of cement in Pakistan has soared by up to Rs207 in just one week, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
PBS documents indicate that the cost of a 50 kg cement bag has reached as high as Rs1,500 nationwide. Cities like Lahore and Peshawar are witnessing particularly steep increases in cement prices. For instance, Larkana saw a spike of Rs207 per bag, while Peshawar experienced a rise of Rs177. In Bannu, the price surged by Rs163, and in Quetta, it increased by Rs160 per bag.
Sargodha and Multan reported increases of Rs160 and Rs155, respectively, whereas Islamabad saw a rise of Rs151. Karachi and Lahore both recorded a jump of Rs150 per bag. Other notable increases include Rs147 in Gujranwala, Rs140 in Faisalabad, and Rs130 in Sialkot. Hyderabad witnessed a rise of Rs120, while Rawalpindi experienced a Rs107 increase. Khuzdar saw a more modest increase of Rs23 per 50 kg bag over the week.
These price hikes follow the federal budget’s increase in Federal Excise Duty on cement, from Rs3 to Rs4 per kg. Additionally, Pakistan’s cement sector reported a substantial 72.16% increase in exports during May 2024, with exports reaching 917,962 tons compared to 533,215 tons the previous year, as reported by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association.
