The Hindu : Business : Government to facilitate more cement imports from Pakistan

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Government to facilitate more cement imports from Pakistan

Special Correspondent

Expects a balance in demand-supply in the current fiscal

NEW DELHI: With mounting political pressure to check price rise, the Government is likely to facilitate more cement imports from Pakistan in its all-out efforts to rein in inflation, which has touched a three-year high.

“A lot of cement capacity is coming up. The Government will facilitate more cement imports from Pakistan.

“In the last one year, cement prices have been reasonably stable,” Ajay Shankar, Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, told reporters here on the sidelines of a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) function.

Though the Government expected moderating of prices, it was keeping a constant watch on the price situation of steel and cement, he said, adding that, “We are watching the situation carefully and are hopeful the steps already announced by the government will have an impact on checking inflation.”

He said the Government expected a balance in demand-supply of cement in the current fiscal.

Inflation touched a three-year high of seven per cent for the week ended March 22, on higher prices of food, vegetables, minerals and manufactured items, prompting the government to take a slew of measures to check the price rise.

Earlier, addressing the concluding session of the EuroIndia Forum 2008, Mr. Shankar said India was experiencing large scale urbanisation and its efforts could be enriched through city-to-city cooperation as facilitated by the Forum 2008.

Three Indian and three European cities formalised city-to-city partnerships during the course of the second EuroIndia Forum titled ‘Urban India 2020: The New Frontier’.

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