ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin Tuesday underlined the need for providing industrial inputs such as cement and steel at affordable prices to carry forward the momentum of economic recovery amid Covid-19 as well as in post-Covid scenario.
While chairing a meeting with the representatives of cement manufacturers, the finance minister emphasised to reduce the prices of cement as the cement industry is of paramount importance due to its backward and forward integration with the construction sector as a whole.
The secretary, Ministry of Industries and Production, briefed the participants about the prevailing cement prices.
He also drew a comparison about changes in the price of cement per bag over the last three years, particularly, amid Covid-19 pandemic.
He also highlighted the important role being played by the cement industry in stimulating economic growth during testing times.
Commodities, construction materials: PM orders unhindered supply
The finance minister underscored the importance of cement as a building block of the construction industry.
He lauded the valuable contribution of the cement industry, which has triggered a V-shape economic recovery during coronavirus pandemic in the country.
He also underlined various stimulus measures taken by the government to support the construction industry that led to a strong rebound in economic activity during the ongoing pandemic.
The finance minister urged the representatives of the cement manufacturers to hold a consultative session with relevant stakeholders and present a firmed-up proposal regarding sustainable pricing mechanism for the cement sector in order to boost the overall construction industry by providing industrial inputs at a reasonable cost. The finance minister affirmed full support and facilitation to the cement industry on the occasion.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
Comments
Comments are closed.