French Lafarge group, the biggest player on the local cementmarket, anticipates sales volume to go up by merely 0 to 5% thisyear, after a 34% slump in 2009 as a result of dwindling demandcaused by the economic crisis. Cement consumption is one of themost important indicators of the economy. In times of boom, cementdemand sees significant increases, while during recession it isamong the first hit, as happened in 2009, when the market fell by30%.
"We hope that the stabilisation of the political situation, thedecline in interests and the start of some infrastructure workswill lead to a certain rebound of the market. Visibility, however,remains very limited," Phillipe Platon, chief financial officer ofLafarge Ciment, the local subsidiary of the French group toldZF.
The company posted 242.8 million-euro turnover last year, down34.4% compared with 2008, with 2009 also the first year since entryon the Romanian market when the French posted lower profit.
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