Amid the ongoing shortage and rising prices for cement in Kyrgyzstan, the government has decided to lift the previously effective import ban. The goal of this step is to stabilize the domestic market and provide the construction industry with the necessary volumes of building materials. However, despite this, the situation remains ambiguous: demand still exceeds supply, and prices for a bag of M-400 cement in the country remain the highest in the region.
For comparison, these are the approximate prices for one bag of M-400 cement in Central Asian countries (converted into soms at the current exchange rate):
- Kyrgyzstan: 500-550 soms;
- Uzbekistan: 36,000 sums ≈ 250-270 soms;
- Kazakhstan: 2,296.50 tenge ≈ 410-430 soms;
- Tajikistan: 50.29 somoni ≈ 400–420 soms.
While Kyrgyz producers are unable to cope with the volumes, a deficit is observed on the domestic market. The lifting of import restrictions on foreign cement is expected to help lower prices and increase supply, particularly during the peak construction season.
