JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – Domestic cement sales reached 23.13 million tons in in the first five months of 2015 (January-May), down 2.8% from 23.78 million tons in the same period of 2014.

The decline occurs in almost all regions excluding Bali and Nusa Tenggara. In Kalimantan, cement sales dropped 7.2% to 1.75 million tons. In Java, cement sales fell 3% to 12.89 million tons.

In Sumatra, cement sales declined 2.8% to 4.85 million tons. In Sulawesi, cement sales fell 1.4% to 1.74 million tons and in Maluku/Papua, cement sales was down 1.6% 534,000 tons.

Indonesia Cement Association (ASI) predicts national cement sales to grow by 3.5% to 62 million tons this year, compared to 59.90 million tons in 2014, supported by the infrastructure projects such as toll roads, smelter, power plants, mass rapid transit (MRT), railways, and sea ports across the country.