The cement industry’s production and business activities in the first five months of this year remained satisfactory, creating an engine for enterprises to develop the domestic market and promote exports, the Vietnam Economic News reported.

According to the Vietnam National Cement Association, the cement market has strongly developed in the recent two months, representing through an increase in consumption and exports.

Cement consumption in May reached 4.87 million tonnes, an increase of 11.9 percent compared to the same period last year. In the first five months of this year, cement consumption reached 20.42 million tonnes, an increase of 1.75 million tonnes and 9.3 percent compared to the same period in 2013.

Cement and clinker exports in May reached nearly two million tonnes. In the first five months of this year, its figure stood at 6.952 million tonnes, an increase of 42.5 percent compared to the same period last year.

Vietnam National Cement Association Chairman Nguyen Quang Cung said that the cement industry has recorded a good growth like 2010. Thanks to domestic cement consumption in the first five months of this year of 20.42 million tonnes, its figure in the whole year would reach 50 million tonnes.

Nguyen Quang Cung also added that thanks to an increase in cement exports in the first five months of this year by 42.5 percent compared to the same period last year, its figure in the whole year would reach 20 million tonnes.

Many cement companies have also achieved good production and business results in recent times. FiCO Tay Ninh Cement Joint Stock Company Deputy General Director Trang Thanh Ba said that market demand has strongly increased and all plants currently have run at 100 percent of capacity.

According to statistics, in the first four months of this year, the company sold 450,000 tonnes of cement, an increase of 10 percent compared to the same period last year. In terms of the southern market, the company would provide about 1.5 million tonnes of cement in the whole year.

Vicem Ha Tien 1 Cement Joint Stock Company said that the company has achieved good production and business results in recent times. Cement consumption in the first five months of this year increased compared to the same period last year. The company plans to sell about 4.9 million tonnes of cement and about 800,000 tonnes of clinker in 2014.

According to the Vietnam National Cement Association’s statistics, there were 70 investors in the cement industry. Nguyen Quang Cung said that compared to a total capacity of the country (65-70 million tonnes), 70 investors were a large number.

Government Office’s Sectoral Economic Department Director Tran Van Duong said that the Government has aggressively abolished nine unfeasible projects as investors have faced to financial difficulties. He also stressed that abolishing a project that has not met necessary conditions or adding a potential project is a normal thing in development planning.

Nguyen Quang Cung said that the cement industry needs to focus on improving the quality of upcoming cement projects. A number of areas with rich limestone reserves such as Ha Nam, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Quang Ninh and Hai Phong will be advantageous for the cement industry. The cement projects’ location and investors’ financial capacity will play a key role in the cement industry planning.

Investors need to invest in advanced machinery and equipment, contributing to reducing coal and power consumption and environmental pollution and improving labor productivity and product quality.-VNA