KARACHI: The retail prices of cement decreased slightly throughout Pakistan in the week ending on April 23, 2006, according to statistics provided by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
As far as northern areas are concerned, the prices decreased slightly, dropping from Rs. 1,548 last week to Rs. 1,535 per bag. In the south, a small reduction was witnessed, from Rs. 1,544 per bag to Rs. 1,542.
City-wise information on average prices of cement was provided as follows: Islamabad (Rs. 1,541), Rawalpindi (Rs. 1,522), Gujranwala/Sialkot (Rs. 1,550), Lahore (Rs. 1,582), Faisalabad (Rs. 1,510), Sargodha (Rs. 1,542), Multan (Rs. 1,536), Bahawalpur (Rs. 1,583), Peshawar (Rs. 1,516), and Bannu (Rs. 1,450).
In southern urban centers, Karachi saw prices at Rs1,461, Hyderabad Rs1,520, Sukkur Rs1,600, Larkana Rs1,513, Quetta Rs1,490, and Khuzdar Rs1,667 per bag.
The data reflects a minor easing in cement costs after previous weeks of stability, offering some relief to construction stakeholders and consumers.
