{
  "id": 13619073,
  "title": "50kg cement bag price rises by Rs201 in a year",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/50kg-cement-bag-price-rises-by-rs201-in-a-year",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-11T02:33:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn Business",
    "slug": "dawn-business",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2036243/50kg-cement-bag-price-rises-by-rs201-in-a-year"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Karachi, the cost of a 50kg cement bag surged by Rs201 last year, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), reported by Topline Securities. The average price of a 50kg cement bag climbed from Rs1,395 in the week ending Oct 9, 2025 to Rs1,596 in the week ending Oct 8, 2026, marking a year-on-year increase of 14.38 per cent. The price hike, attributed to higher fuel costs and international coal and diesel price hikes, resulted in increased production costs, with Topline Securities estimating a minimum Rs20 per bag increase due to coal price rise and an additional Rs15 per bag due to higher diesel prices. Despite the increased costs, manufacturers have reportedly boosted their margins, potentially leading to higher profits in the fiscal year 2027. Property investors remain the main driver of demand for housing projects, yet many ordinary citizens continue to find homes and apartments unaffordable. The Competition Appellate Tribunal has yet to resolve a 2008 case related to alleged cement cartelisation, despite being informed about the issue for 18 years.",
  "summary": "KARACHI: Construction costs have risen as cement manufacturers have increased prices by up to Rs201 per 50kg bag over the past year, according to official data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). According to the weekly Sensitive Price Index (SPI) for the week ending Oct 8, the average price of a 50kg cement bag stood at Rs1,596, compared with Rs1,395 in the week ended Oct 9,…",
  "key_points": [
    "50kg cement bag price increased by Rs201 in a year",
    "Price rose from Rs1,395 to Rs1,596 year-on-year",
    "Hike due to higher fuel and international coal/diesel costs"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The surge in cement prices, driven by higher production costs, likely boosts manufacturers' profits but squeezes ordinary citizens' ability to afford homes and apartments, while also highlighting longstanding concerns about cartelisation.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}