Cement Prices Decline Slightly; New Per-Bag Rates Announced

KARACHI: Cement prices in Pakistan recorded a slight decline last week, with the latest average retail rates per 50kg bag reported across major cities.

According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the average price of a cement bag in northern areas and cities stood at Rs1,565 during the week ended August 20, compared with Rs1,569 a week earlier. This represents a decrease of 0.30 percent.

In southern areas, however, the average retail price remained unchanged at Rs1,547 per bag.

City-wise data showed that the average price of a cement bag was Rs1,532 in Islamabad, Rs1,535 in Rawalpindi, Rs1,600 in Gujranwala and Rs1,570 in Sialkot.

In Lahore, the average price stood at Rs1,590 per bag, while it was Rs1,550 in Faisalabad, Rs1,600 in Sargodha and Rs1,591 in Multan. The price in Bahawalpur was recorded at Rs1,560 and Rs1,573 in Peshawar.

According to city-level figures, Bannu recorded a price of Rs1,510 per bag, among the lowest rates reported in the listed cities. Karachi recorded an average price of Rs1,518, while the rates stood at Rs1,600 in Sukkur and Rs1,523 in Larkana.

In Balochistan, the average price was Rs1,520 per bag in Quetta and Rs1,650 in Khuzdar, highlighting significant differences in cement prices across different parts of the country.

The slight decline in cement prices may provide some relief to people involved in the construction sector and citizens building homes, although considerable regional variations in prices continue to persist.