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According to Dwi Soetjipto, managing director of Semen Indonesia, the state-owned cement company is aiming for its output capacity to reach 72.9 million tonnes in 2030, a two-fold increase from the present capacity at 31.8 million tonnes.

The target will be achieved via acquisitions as well as setting up of new plants.

Meanwhile, Semen Gresik, a unit of Semen Indonesia, has inaugurated its new headquarters in Tuban.

The inauguration of the new office was in conjunction with the 57th anniversary of

According to Jussi Mattila, director of the Finnish Concrete Industry, the outlook in the sector is bleak.

There are few orders as neither industrial companies nor the trade sector are investing, and housebuilding has decreased.

Mattila is certain the sector will have to reduce its workforce. The concrete industry employs about 4,500 people in Finland with specialised companies said to have managed best.

Kenyan company Bamburi Cement made a pre-tax profit of KES 2.30 billion (€19.60 million/US$26.19 million) in the six months to June 2014, down 28% year-on-year.

While revenue was up 9.5% to KES 17.3 billion with increased volumes, higher power costs, increased clinker imports and a new Kenyan mining levy have pushed down margins.

Group finance director Eric Kironde is reported as saying that economic growth and urbanisation in the East African Community (EAC) will continue to drive demand for cement a

Nigeria-based Ashaka Cement, a subsidiary of Lafarge of France, has registered a rise in its pre-tax profit in the January to June 2014 period to NGN 4.39 billion (€ 20.12 million/US$26.97 million), as compared to NGN 1.6 billion in the same period in 2013, up by 166.16%.

The cement company has posted a jump in its profit after tax in the six months under review from NGN 1.15 billion in the same period in 2013, to NGN 3.51 billion, a 201.41% increase.

Athi River Mining Cement (ARM) of Kenya has received approval from the government to establish a cement plant costing KES 25 billion (€212.06 million/US$284.25 million) in Kitui town, and the project is expected to create 2,000 direct jobs and 1,500 indirect jobs.

The plant will be located in Mbui village and it is 3km away from the Ngaae Hill that has limestone deposit that covers over 1,400 hectares.

An agreement to build a cement plant in Democratic Republic of the Congo has been signed between PPC Barnet and China's Sinoma International Engineering (Sinoma).

A total of US$300 million (€223.8 million) will be invested in building the plant, which was scheduled for completion by the end of 2016.

The plant will have a daily production capacity of 3,000tonnes.

Indonesian cement maker Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa (Indocement), has set aside between IDR 4 trillion (€253.8 million/ US$340.2 million) and IDR 5 trillion for capital expenditures (capex).

In January-June 2014, the company has spent just 20% of its total anticipated capex.

According to Tju Lie Sukanto, finance director of Indocement, the company has disbursed IDR 800 billion-IDR 900 billion during the period for the expansion of its P14 plant's capacity in West Java's Citeureup.

The revenue of Moscow region-based enterprises producing non-metallic building materials is estimated at RUB 12 billion (€247.53 million US$331.98 million) to RUB 15 billion/year.

One of the largest producers of crushed stone and screened sand is Oreshki Plant of Non-metallic Building Materials. In total, there are 93 companies producing rock products in the Moscow region.

Italmobiliare, the Italian investment holding that controls building materials company Italcementi, posted a 3.9% year-on-year drop in its consolidated revenues to €2.2 billion in the first half of 2014.

Its EBITDA grew 10.3% to €325.9 million while its pre-tax profit reached €14.1 million from a €23.2 million pre-tax loss. Its net worth equalled €74 million from €146.6 million at the end of 2013.

Gamma, which holds a 49% stake in the capital of Holcim Mauritius, is reported as planning to exercise its rights to first refusal for the acquisition of the Swiss cement group's remaining 51% interest.

Holcim is selling its activities in Mauritius as part of its proposed merger with Lafarge.

The Competition Commission of Mauritius (CCM) is currently studying the proposed merger between Lafarge and Holcim.

Other players, including international investors, are reported to be interested in Holcim's

A financial report by Al-Riyadh daily newspaper has revealed Saudi Arabia-listed cement companies recorded almost US$517.25 million (SAR 1.94 billion) in revenues in the second quarter of 2014, while realising sales worth SAR 3.66bn.

However, the same companies saw a decline of 2.7% in net profits from $485.23 million (SAR 1.82 billion) to $471.9 million (SAR 1.77 billion) on a year-on-year (Y-o-Y) basis, after operational costs and zakat provision deduction. The Al-Riyadh daily report further stated th

Turkish cement producer Limak Cimento Grubu is linking up with Afrikbat to build a cement production facility in Ivory Coast. The two frims have set up a new company, Afrika, and Limak has a 51% share in this firm. The plant will be based in Abidjan and will cost US$50 million. It will produce 1 million m³ ready-to-use cement when it opens in October 2015, and will export products to other African countries. There are also plans to extend the operation with additional block production and a pre-fabric produ

Cemtech, a subsidiary of India-based Sanghi Group, is preparing to start construction of the US$136.38 million (KES 12 billion) Pokot Cement Factory in Kenya. The cement plant is expected to achieve annual output of over 1.2 million tonnes and Cemtech will set up a power plant as well as staff houses, schools, staff training centre, a medical centre and other facilities.