MINSK, 26 August (BelTA) – The increase in the output of construction materials in Belarus has been driven by a higher demand from the country's construction industry, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Architecture and Construction Ministry.
“In recent years, we saw an in crease in production and consumption of domestic construction materials by the country's construction industry. Despite the negative impact of external factors (unfavorable epidemiological situation in the world, the decrease in business activity in construction markets of our neighboring countries), the Belarusian construction industry has shown resilience and ability to withstand external challenges,” the press service noted. In January-July 2020, despite an insignificant drop in capital investment (by 0.3%), the scope of construction and installation works rose by 5.9% and housing commissioning went up by 5.4%.
In January-July 2020, Belarus ramped up the production of some basic construction materials: cement by 2%, cellular concrete blocks by 19.8%, bricks and silicate blocks by 10%, plasterboard by 61.5%, construction lime by 18.9%, concrete and reinforced concrete products by 3.7% year-on-year. The domestic demand for plasterboard and construction lime went up by 10.6% and 3.6% respectively, while their import shrank by 4% and 14.8% respectively. Moreover, in January-July 2020, Belarus did not import cellular concrete, ceramic and sand-lime bricks because Belarusian enterprises satisfied the domestic demand for these materials.
“The growth in the output of construction materials came on the heels of a higher demand from the country's construction industry,” the press service of the ministry stressed. For example, consumption of cement in Belarus surged by 9.5%, cellular concrete by 21.3%, ceramic and sand-lime bricks by 8.8% and 14.1% respectively, mineral wool by 9.2%, glass wool by 46.1%, plasterboard by 10.6%, ceramic tiles by 9.2%, and construction lime by 3.6%.
