The supplies of coal and various raw materials are not being transported to any cement producer, which may hurt the productions and subsequently the supplies of cement to retail market in the coming days, says All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA).
The cement industry alone consumes around 4.5 million ton of coal as raw material or alternate fuel annually and approximately 14-15000 ton of coal is transported daily from Port Qasim to different factories including Punjab and KPK. All Pakistan Goods Transports Owners Association has intimated cement factories their limitations of providing raw materials to cement manufacturers due to their protest campaign.
They said that motorway police has imposed an impractical restriction on truck owners that could not be materialised as far as cost and benefit ratio is concerned. The truck owners said that the motorway police have imposed load restriction of 58.500 ton including 28 ton weight of truck itself, which will ultimately increase manifold, the transportation charges per ton of coal.
They rejected the move of motorway police as they said it will immensely increase the fares that will translate into the increased cost of production for cement producers. Truck owners demanded the government to rationalise the load limit on truck with respect to cost of fuel and labour, adding the challan on trucks drivers should be stopped immediately. All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) demanded the government to resolve the issues of goods carrier at the earliest hence the supplies are regularised to continue the production of cements in factories uninterrupted.