First quarter cement sales up 13%

Cement sales in Bolivia grew to 275,986t in the first quarter, 13% higher than the 244,154t recorded in the corresponding period in 2003, Correo del Sur reported. The leading regions for sales were Chuquisaca, La Paz and Cochabamba, recording sales of 75,993t, 64,306t and 51,963t respectively, according to information from the Bolivian institute of cement and concrete, and the national statistics institute. The cement market by department during Q1 was Santa Cruz 30.8%, La Paz 24%, Cochabamba 21%, Chuquisaca 7%, Tarija 6.5%, Potosí 4.1%, Oruro 4.1% and Beni 2.1%.