Santo Domingo.- Local cement consumption jumped from 429,500 tons to 482,664 tons in January and February compared with the same two months a year ago, for a 12.4% rise.

The figures appear in Cementando, a publication of the Dominican cement plants grouped in Adocem, whose executive director is Julissa Báez.

The rise in cement consumption stems mostly form public works such as roads to interlink cities nationwide.

Since yearend 2009 and the start of this year the monetary measures adopted have spurred growth in public and private construction, including a 16.7% climb in private financing for construction and 19.6 % in housing sales.

Last year’s cement consumption was 2.9 million tons, with expected growth as high as 5% this year driven by the new expectations in the economic agents and a significant inflow of funds from the public sector, including the International Monetary Fund, focused mainly on the real estate and construction sectors.

The national cement industry provides 35,000 direct and indirect jobs, can produce six million tons annually, has assets of US$1.0 billion, and pays RD$100 million in taxes per year.