The Bestway Cement Limiteds Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 29 Words: 8691 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Bestway Cement Limited is part of the Bestway Group of the United Kingdom. Bestway Group was founded by Sir Mohammed Anwar Pervez nearly thirty three years ago on what could be best described as one mans vision and passion. Since then it has translated into a unique and successful group of businesses spread across the globe with the help of committed, professional and hardworking management and staff, together with loyal customers and suppliers. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Bestway Cement Limiteds Finance Essay" essay for you Create order The Group has a well diversified portfolio incorporating within its folds cement manufacturing, global banking, wholesale cash carry business, a string of retail outlets, real estate investment, ethnic food and beverage import and distribution and milling of rice. Recently the group has embarked upon a large power generation project in Pakistan thus further diversifying its operations and revenue base. The Cement sector of Pakistan which was more or less showing an increasing trend from last few decades is unfortunately posing a decline from last few years. Many things, variables and aspects have contributed to the negative trend of its growth. A holistic view of cement sector in totality could have given many different pictures but given are localized view to the economic growth of the sector; we found out that it has suffered a lot. The economic situation also exacerbated, collectively resulting in decline of production and exports. The analysis of this sector from various pers pectives through the research and consultation of available research verified and to some extent endorsed the causes which were sorted out and listed down in the literature review. These causes are high cost of energy, heavy taxation, high freight charge, low spending upon PSDP, fluctuating interest rates, declining international market share political instability, law and order situation, economic constraints to retrieve back to original situation and international market competitiveness. Looking into all major causes, recommendations are given in way forward which is to the best of our understanding and capacity for the Bestway Cement Limited. Introduction Bestway Group Bestway Cement Limited is a part of Bestway Group which is a London based corporation. Its foundation was laid by Sir Mohammed Anwer Pervez almost thirty years ago. The group has a well-diversified portfolio and comprises cement manufacturing, global banking, wholesale cash and carry business, a chain of retail outlets, real estate investment, ethnic food and beverage import and distribution and milling of rice. Bestway group has fortunately managed to invest in unique and successful group of businesses spread across the globe with the help of committed, professional and hardworking management and staff, together with loyal customers and suppliers. Even in a period of economic slowdown and energy crisis in the last five years, which adversely affected the profitability of the industry, Bestway was able to record pretax profits even at 60% capacity utilization. The company has been amongst the leaders in the recent market boom, operating above 100% of is installed capacity. (B estway Group Company, 2011) Bestway is U.Ks second largest cash and carry operator in terms of turnover with group annual turnover in excess of US Dollars 3.6 billion and profits in excess of US Dollars 135 million; the second largest cement producer in Pakistan and joint owner of Pakistans third largest bank, United Bank Limited. Its rice milling facilities are one of the largest of its kind in the country. The group is the largest overseas Pakistani investor with investments in excess of US Dollars 1 billion and a global workforce of over 22,000 people spread over four continents. (Bestway Cement, 2011) What is Cement? Cement is a material with adhesive and cohesive properties that makes it capable of bonding mineral fragment into a compact and rigid mass. The word cement seems to have been derived from the middle age English cyment, and Latin caementum. (APCMA, 2011) The latter word caementum meant rough quarried stone or chips of marble from which a kind of mortar was made more than 2000 years ago in Italy. Common lime, hydraulic lime, gypsum plaster, pozzolana, natural and Portland cement are few of the material, which are used for cementing purposes. These materials may be classified into two groups: Non-Hydraulic Non-hydraulic cement does not have the ability to set and harden under water but requires carbon dioxide from air to harden e.g. non-hydraulic lime and plaster of Paris. Their cementing prosperity arises from the re absorption of gases that were expelled during their processing. Their products of hydration are not resistant to water. (APCMA, 2011) Hydraulic Hydraulic cement is defined as cement having the ability to set and develop strength in air or under water and which are insoluble in water after they have set. Such cement harden even in the absence of air and form a solid product which is stable in water and can be safely used in all structures in contact with water. Hydraulic cement includes hydraulic limes, Portland cement (both basic and blended), oil-well cement, white cement, colored cement, high alumna cement, expensive cement regulated and hydrophobic cement etc. (APCMA, 2011) Branches of Bestway Cement Bestway Cement Hattar Hattar is an area in Haripur in the North West Frontier province where the company established its sister branch in 1994. This was an initial investment of US$ 120 million. Bestway Cement Chakwal-I Another strategic decision made by the company was in 2004 to establish a set up of 1.8 million tonnes per annum cement plant near village Tatral of district Chakwal, Punjab province, Pakistan. This is the companys second greenfield development project at a cost of US$ 140 million. Mustehkam Cement To further extend its presence in the cement industry, Bestway decided to bid for 85.9% of equity of Mushtehkam Cement limited a 0.6 million tons per annum capacity plant, following an offering by the Privatization Commission, Government of Pakistan. Bestway Cement Chakwal-I In May 2006, the group declared plans for setting up of a second 1.8 million tons per annum capacity plant near their Chakwal operations at a cost of US$ 180 million. This was Bestways third green field cement plant in Pakistan. Source: (Bestway Cement, 2011) Vision Statement To Produce High Quality Cement At The Lowest Cost. (Bestway Group Company, 2011) Vision statement is an aspirational description of what the company wants to achieve in the long term. The purpose of a vision statement is to serve as a guide for the present and future course of action. It would not be wrong to call a vision statement the framework of a companys strategic planning. The vision statement is applicable to an entire organization. The vision statement of Bestway clearly identifies its long term goals. The company wishes to sustain its position of a market leader in the future. It wants to pave way for itself so that it can stand at the top of the pyramid and enjoy the privileges of a market leader. The company wishes to do so by not ignoring the standard and quality of cement. The statement does not seem to leave an impact on the readers. It lacks depth. The vision statement should give a photographic vision of where the top management wishes to see itself in the long term. This particular vision statement does not do that. It should be able to tell the readers why the company wishes to exist tomorrow. It should have highlighted a few broader goals. Overall, it is a very weak vision statement. It needs to be seriously reviewed by the company. This statement does not give a very positive picture of the company and does not tell where the company wishes to see itself in the future. Company Mission  · Bestway will consistently produce High Quality Cement.  · Bestway will endeavor to be the lowest cost producer.  · It is companys aim to achieve 20% of the market share of North Zone in the short term and ultimately 30% in the longer term. Â · Bestway will continue to provide a high standard of customer service.  · In order to meet future expansion needs, Bestway will continue its policies of staff training and development, promoting from within whenever possible.  · Bestway appreciates it has responsibility towards the community within which it operates.   It will continue to set aside 2.5% of the net profit for education and charitable purposes (Bestway Cement, 2011) A mission statement defines what an organization is, why it exists, its reason for being. At a minimum, your mission statement should define who your primary customers are, identify the products and services you produce, and describe the geo graphical location in which you operate. (Entrepreneur Media, 2012) The mission statement highlights the companys short term goals. These are the goals that revolve around companys customers, suppliers, and stakeholders. It is more important to communicate the mission statement to the employees than to customers. The employees have to understand the mission statement and then set a path that would make them achieve the goals that have been established. According to the mission statement of Bestway Limited it can be understood that Bestway promises to produce high quality cement on a consistent basis. It will not compromise on quality whatsoever. It is one of the top priority of the company to main high quality standards. Moreover, the company promises to do so by adopting methods which would help the company in keeping their production costs low. This is beneficial for the customers as they are going to get a fine quality finished product at a reasonable price. They want to be co st efficient as compared to their competitors. This would also, benefit the shareholders. Low costs would result in higher margins in terms of profitability. Furthermore, Bestway aims to provide commendable customer service. They do not want to compromise when it comes to customer services. They want to have efficient workforce which would cater to the problems of the customers. Products All of the products being produced by the company are available in different packaging solutions. They are available in standard packaging, in bulk, or are made as per the requirements of the customers. List of products being offered by Bestway Cement Limited are as follows: Ordinary Portland Cement Sulphate Resistant Cement Quick Setting Cement Low Alkali Ordinary Portland Cement Clinker Source: (Bestway Cement, 2011) International Markets Bestway has tapped many international markets which include Central Asia, Sri Lanka, Africa, and Middle Eastern Countries. Bestway has remained the single largest exporter of cement to Afghanistan for past many years; hence it has and continues to play an important role in the rebuilding and development of that country. (Bestway Cement, 2011) Bestway cement has become the first Pakistani company to export cement to India on trucks. The company started this venture in April, 2012. Since 2007, Bestway has been regularly exporting cement to India both via land and sea routes. Within a very short span Bestway has become one of the largest exporters of Cement to India also. The Company views India as an important market and is keen to explore all possibilities of increasing the presence of its product there. The company has established its name in countries like Afghanistan and India, now it looks forward to tapping other international markets where it would be feasible to of fer companys products. This step is taken in order to expand its operations. On the export frontage, Bestway has acquired certification from South African Bureau of Standardisation enabling it to seek export opportunities to South Africa. (Business Recorder, 2012) Corporate Profile Environment, a top Priority Bestways plants are environmentally friendly with emission standards that far exceed prevailing acceptable standards, both local and international. (Bestway Cement, 2011) The plants emission levels are 50 microns whereas the Government of Pakistans acceptable standards are 300 microns and international standards are 100 microns per cubic meter of air at NTP (Bestway Cement, 2011) Quality Assurance Bestway Cement is driven by high standards of efficiency and quality. Strict quality control procedures are applied to ensure that these aims are achieved. The best quality control equipment in Pakistan is in use at its plants. Apart from the usual equipment, Bestways laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art X-ray Fluorescent Analyzer and Diffracto meter technology. (Bestway Cement, 2011) Bestway Group was a pioneer in introducing this technology in Pakistan for the first time. By virtue of this equipment, the Company has been able to consistently produce better quality cement than is currently available in the country. Since inception, Bestway has been producing Portland cement of specifications far superior to the Pakistani, Indian, British and American standards. Manufacturing Process A binding material used in construction and engineering, typically made by heating a mixture of limestone and clay until it almost fuses and then grinding it to a fine powder. When mixed with water, the silicates and aluminates in the cement undergo a chemical reaction; the resulting hardened mass is then impervious to water. It may also be mixed with water and aggregates (crushed stones, sand and gravel) to form concrete4. The manufacturing of cement starts with the mining of the raw materials. The larger sized materials received at the plant are crushed; mix in a proportion and ground to secure a uniform blend for proper reaction. An intimate mixture usually of limestone and clay or other suitable materials is subjected from powdered form to solid in a kiln at a temperature of 1400-1500oC for a certain time. This product called clinker after cooling is ground with 4-6% of gypsum or other forms of calcium sulphate. The cement is then stored in a tower called silos for shipment in bags or in bulk. Source: (Dgtrdt.gov.pk, 2012) Raw Materials The main raw materials required for cement manufacturing are: 1. Lime stone 2. Clay (Shale) 3. Silica sand 4. Iron ore 5. Gypsum Source: (Syndicate 4, 2012) Requirements of Raw material About 1500-1600 kg of raw materials is required to produce one ton of Portland cement. The average amount of materials required to produce one ton of Portland cement are 1.2-1.3 tons of chalky material like limestone and marl and 0.3-0.4 ton of clay material like shale etc. Besides, 0.05-0.06 tons of natural or synthetic gypsum is required to manufacture one ton of Portland cement. Industry Overview Pakistans cement industry has shown tremendous progress since Independence. In 1947, there were only four operational cement units in West Pakistan. Demand during the same period was estimated at over a million tons. The industry observed a gradual growth in its production over the Ayub Khans regime due to the establishment of five more plants with the capacity of 2.8 million tons with four more set up in 1960s. In these years the construction industry went through a boom as demand grew because of an expanding economy. Currently many cement plants are operating in private sector. Pakistan Cement Industry has huge potential for export of cement to neighboring countries like India, U.A.E, Afghanistan, Iraq Russian States. The Financial Year 2010-2011 was not fruit full for the cement industry of Pakistan. Sluggish demand in the local market, increased competition in the international markets and a fall in profit margins marked the highlights of the financial year. (Khan, 2011) In addition to this, broken promises from the government, disruption of distribution channels due to floods and increase in raw material (coal) costs further added to the misery of the cement manufacturers. The demand for cement neither increased nor decreased and remained stagnant in the local market due to inadequate public spending and negligible private sector spending because of recession that prevails in our economy. The government cut down on its Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) by 77 per cent during the financial year. (Khan, 2011)This happened primarily because the funds allocated by the government were not utilized properly. However there is still a ray of hope left. The budget allocated by the government of Pakistan for the fiscal year 2012 looks handsome. PSDP has been allocated Rs710 Billion for the year. The private sector demand was weak throughout the year. This was due to low per capital income and little investor confidence in the economy. (Khan, 201 1)The private sector took on very little or no construction activity which automatically forced the players in the industry into severe price competition. This lead the companies to sell cement bag for as low as Rs235. Later on the manufactures controlled the worsening situation and prices were increased to Rs380 per bag mark. The industry also had to face a tough year in terms of international market as well. The industry exports to different countries like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, India, China, and Africa. In the year 2011, the industry faced competition from Middle East. The cement exports fell by 11.55 per cent from 10,657,235 M Tonnes to 9,426,112 M Tonnes. (Khan, 2011) Government did not play its part in reviving the cement industry. If 80 per cent of one of your favorite export industries has suffered huge losses, then it is obvious that they are in trouble. (Khan, 2011) The government should have supported one its major exporting industry. The Pakistani Government had prom ised to pay the cement companies an inland freight subsidy. This promise was not put into materialization. Furthermore, the companies had to sell their products in the Pakistani markets at cheaper rates because the cost of transporting the product to Karachi Port was very high. However Government did support the industry by allowing a reduction in the Federal excise Duty and General Sales Tax. There were some companies who reported profits in the year 2011. These were those companies who were located very close to the harbor and did not have to incur the high costs of transportation. There were natural disasters as well in the year 2011 that hurt the cement industry. During the year, nature also seemed to be harsh on the cement industry. There were massive floods which disrupted all the distribution channels and pegged the economy back. (Khan, 2011) Currently, the cement industry does look in bad shape but there is some reason to be optimistic. The extreme damage caused by flo ods has to be reconstructed. This is bound to increase the local demand of cement. Urbanization is also a growing trend in Pakistan and this brings along it the demand for increased construction. The development in Afghanistan is on a rise as well especially after a growing GDP. (Khan, 2011) The cement market should look to capitalize on that. According to the Global cement report 2009, China maintained first position with 26 million tons in exports, while Japan got second position by exporting 12.6 million tons of cement. Third largest cement exporter in world was Thailand with around 12 million tons, followed by Turkey which exported 11.6 million tons of cement. Pakistan was at 5th position and had left Germany behind by exporting 11 million tons of cement during last fiscal year. Germany stood at 6th position with 9 million tons exports. Cement market experts told that Pakistan secured 5th position because of high demand of cement in nearby countries and by capturing new ma rkets such as African countries, Qatar Iraq. Pakistan could achieve the mark of 13 to 14 million tons exports by the end of the fiscal year keeping in view Indian market which has once again started importing cement from Pakistan. The export of cement from Pakistan to India showed a sharp decline after Mumbai attacks. According to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), local dispatches were 19.3 million tons (down 14 percent YoY). However exports showed an encouraging increase of 47 percent (YoY to 11.3 million tons) during the last fiscal year. (Cement Pakistan Company, 2009) It was expected that the local demand of cement in Pakistan would have remained on high side due to the reconstruction activities of devastated homes, shops and schools in Swat and Malakand after Military operation. Overall Pakistan cement industry dispatches were likely to grow 7 percent in July 2009. The growth in cement dispatches was solely attributable to rising export volumes a s domestic demand remained depressed on every comparable time period. Overall cement plants of Pakistan operated at 80 percent capacity utilization as compared with 81 percent utilization in the same month of last year. Cement exports of Pakistan continue to show healthy and positive growth trend and recorded 45 percent growth on Y-o-Y basis. However, on M-o-M basis, cement exports represented a decline of 3 percent. (Cement Pakistan Company, 2009) The year under review had been one of the worst in the history of local cement industry in terms of prices and profitability. The ongoing recession coupled with capacity expansions in the Pakistani cement sector have created the supply glut in the country resulting in free fall in prices due to a severe price war. The fierce price war has drastically eroded retention prices on one hand, while on the other hand input prices have also increased in general, particularly electricity charges that have increased by 24%. On the backdrop of declining prices, overall cement volumetric growth registered an increase of 9.3% to stand at 34.2 million tons. Installed Production Capacity   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚     Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  As on October 2012  Â  Sr. No.   Name Of Unit Â  Operational Capacity  Â  Clinker Â  Cement 1   Askari Cement Limited Wah Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   1,050,000   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   1,102,500 2   Al-Abbas Cement Limited Nooriabad, Dadu 900,000 945,000 3   Askari Cement Nizampur Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   1,500,000   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   1,575,000 4   Attock Cement Pakistan Hub Chowki, Lasbela 1,710,000 1,795,500 5   Bestway Cement Limited Hattar Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   1,170,000   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   1,228,500 6   Bestway Cement Limited Chakwal Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   3,428,571   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   3,600,000 7   Bestway Mustehkum Cement Limited Hattar Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   1,035,000 1,086,750 8   Cherat Cement Company Limited-Nowshera Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   1,050,000   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   1,102,500 9   Dandot Cement Limited Jehlum Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€ šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   480,000   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   504,000 10   Dewan Hattar Cement Limited Hattar 1,080,000 1,134,000 11   Dewan Hattar Cement Limited Dhabeji 750,000 787,500 12   D.G.Khan Cement Limited D.G.Khan Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   2,010,000   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   2,110,500 13   D.G.Khan Cement Limited Chakwal Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   2,010,000   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   2,110,500 14   Fauji Cement Company Limited Fateh Jang Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   3,270,000   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   3,433,500 15   Fecto Cement Limited Sangjani Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   780,000   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   819,000 16   Flying Cement Limited Lilla Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   1,140,000 1,197,000 17   GharibWal Cement Limit ed Jehlum Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   2,010,000   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   2,110,500 18   Kohat Cement Company Limited Kohat Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   2,550,000   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   2,677,500 19   Lafarge Pakistan Cement Company Limited Chakwal 1,950,000 2,047,500 20   Lucky Cement Limited Pezu  Ãƒâ€š 3,725,714 3,912,000 21   Lucky Cement Limited Indus Highway, Karachi  Ãƒâ€š 3,428,571   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   3,600,000 22   Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited Daudkhel   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   3,210,000   3,370,500 23   Pioneer Cement Limited Khushab Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   1,933,571   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   2,030,250 24   Thatta Cement Limited Thatta 465,000 488,250   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Total 42,636,428 44,768,250  Source: (APCMA, 2011) Competitor Analysis Attock Cement Pakistan Limited Attock Cement Pakistan Limited (ACPL) is a public limited company, listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange since June 2002. Main business of the company is manufacturing and sales of cement. ACPL is part of the Phara on Group, which in addition to investment in cement industry has diversified stakes in Pakistan mainly in the oil and gas sector, power and real estate sector. (Falcon Cement, 2011-2012) ACPLs project was conceived in 1981. The project is a Pak-Saudi venture and has involved an initial capital outlay of around Rs.1.5 billion with a foreign exchange component of  around US$ 45 million. ACPLs manufacturing plant is located in Tehsil Hub, District Lasbela, Baluchistan, at a distance of about 45 kilometers north west of Karachi. ACPL has attained ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14000 certifications from Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) in 2002 and 2006. ACPL is making substantial contribution to the countrys economy and deposited over Rs.2,646 million (US$ 31.5 mil lion) in the form of  Excise Duty , Sales Tax, Royalty and Income Tax during the year 2008-2009. (Falcon Cement, 2011-2012) The cement is being manufactured and marketed under the FALCON brand. It portrays the symbol of the highest standard and truly the market leader. The company wishes to be a premier and reputable cement manufacturing company dedicated to become industry leader by producing quality products, providing excellent services, enhancing customer satisfaction and maximizing shareholders value through professionalism and dedicated team work. Corporate Social Responsibility We define Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as our commitment to work as partners with all our stakeholders to effectively improve the quality of life of the members of our workforce, their families and the local communities around our facilities. (Falcon Cement ( Attock Cement Pakistan Ltd.), 2011-2012) The Company continued to strongly support the uplift of the local community, as they are an integral part of it. Basic education facilities, medical treatment and availability of  clean drinking water to the masses are the few top priorities of the Company. Presently, the company is successfully running a school in Sakran where children of workers and nearby villages are getting free education. Moreover, with the cooperation of local administration, we are planning to upgrade the existing school in Hub, having all required facilities. Sensing the dire need for availability of medical facilities for the deserving, the Company regularly arranges free medical camps for t he locality where treatment and medication is provided free of cost. Additionally, the Company embarked upon and awareness program on Hepatitis B C for the local residents of nearby Goths. The Company provides transport in emergency and financial help to the downtrodden nearby villagers on a regular basis. The Company currently operates a Primary level school that imparts education to children of both plant employees and also those from neighboring villages. The Company has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The Citizen Foundation (TCF) a non-profit organization for the construction of TCF primary and secondary school located near to factory premises, which is close proximity to the surrounding villages. The total cost of this project would be around Rs. 40 million. This school would comprise of 2 units primary portion and 2 units secondary portion. The structure of the primary school building has been completed and the progress of the project is on track as per the schedule. ATTOCK CEMENT The analysis of the Income Statement Analysis of the Income Statement  2011  2010  2009  Net sales 7,668,133 100.00% 8,510,071 100.00% 5,001,350 100.00% Cost of sales -5,710,166 74.47% -5,801,099 68.17% -3,887,147 77.72% Gross profit 1,957,967 25.53% 2,708,972 31.83% 1,114,203 22.28% Distribution cost -466,659 6.09% -437,194 5.14% -124,744 2.49% Administrative expenses -183,933 2.40% -182,420 2.14% -133,582 2.67% Other operating expenses -102,969 1.34% -147,402 1.73% -54,841 1.10% Other operating income 261,539 3.41% 166,533 1.96% 27,840 0.56% Operating profit 1,465,945 19.12% 2,108,489 24.78% 828,876 16.57% Finance cost -77,628 1.01% -119,763 1.41% -153,909 3.08% Profit before taxation 1,388,317 18.11% 1,988,726 23.37% 674,967 13.50% Taxation -371,632 4.85% -495,775 5.83% -239,942 4.80% Profit after taxation 1,016,685 13.26% 1,492,9 51 17.54%   Data from the income statement of the Attock Cement has been taken for three years i.e. 2011, 2010 and 2009. A trend analysis has been conducted to analyze the contribution of different heads in the total sales for the three years chosen. The total sales for the company have increased from 2009 to 2012 overall but from 2010 to 2011, the total sales of the company have dipped. The cost of sales has increased from 2009 to 2010, but dipped heavily from 2009 to 2010. The distribution costs overall have been increasing for the company over all the three years. The administrative expenses however have decreased which is a good sign and means that the company is operating efficiently. The operating income for the company has increased and there was a decrease in the finance cost. The earnings per share has increased over the three years. Overall, there was an increase in the tax levels for the company but from 2009 to 2010 there was a decrease in the tax levels. The profit after tax howev er decreased from 17% to 13%. COST OF GOODS SOLD 2011 2010 2009 Raw materials consumed 543,407 580,717 371,432 Packing materials consumed 537,457 501,149 340,157 Cement packaging and loading charges 15,267 13,457 10,516 Salaries, wages and benefits 474,618 513,333 351,431 Fuel 1,906,268 2,382,407 1,487,462 Electricity and water 1,380,902 1,058,377 729,174 Stores and spares consumed 225,521 263,656 154,819 Repairs and maintenance 49,546 60,570 66,139 Insurance 28,201 34,594 22,196 Vehicle running and maintenance 49,556 53,037 42,229 Travelling and entertainment 5,354 4,369 3,186 Communication 1,061 1,065 785 Printing and stationery 2,713 2,784 3,120 Security expenses 26,335 30,132 12,478 Depreciation 261,760 463,580 395,937 (Reversal of) / provision for slow moving and obsolete stores, spares and loose tools 1,655 12,171 721 Other expenses 1,115 2 ,674 2,822 5,507,426 5,978,072 3,994,604 Add: Opening work-in-process 368,670 215,161 129,824 Less: Closing work-in-process 221,139 368,670 215,161 Cost of goods manufactured 5,654,957 5,824,563 3,909,267 Add: Opening stock of finished goods 101,290 77,826 55,706 5,756,247 5,902,389 3,964,973 Less: Closing stock of finished goods 46,081 101,290 77,826 5,710,166 5,801,099 3,887,147 Statement of Cost of Goods Sold Analysis of Cost of Goods Sold We have taken 3 years data from financial statements of cost of goods sold of Attock cement to have an idea about the cost efficiency of the whole system. Year 2010 has proven to be the most difficult one in terms of cost as the costs incurred in this year was high as compared to the other 2 years. Year 2009 data shows decreased costs and hence the overall efficiency of the practices of an organization. In year 2011 the costs were somewhat controlled but they were still high due to prevailing economic conditions of the country, political crisis, energy crisis etc. If we look at the components of the COGS, we see that highest cost was incurred in case of fuel and electricity water. This is due to the lack of availability of oil and increasing prices of such resources like electricity and oil. This led to increase in overall costs of the process. The cost of raw materials, packing materials has increased over the period of 3 years showing that overall due to inflation, prices of sup plies have increased. Salaries, wages have decreased in 2011 as compared to 2010 mainly due to lay off of employees that has led to reduction in labor costs. The expense on packaging has increased over period of 3 years which shows that now customers are more aware of the product attributes that is why organizations has to work more on making their products more appealing to their customers. The store and spares consumed is showing an increasing trend but has decreased in 2011which indicates that sales have decreased in 2011. Repair maintenance as well as depreciation has decreased over the period of 3 years showing that the machines or equipment the company is using has remained productive and no major breakdowns or failures have occurred. The overall tendency of depreciation on lease asset is decreasing. The opening work in process is increasing from year 2009 to 2011 showing that there is an overall increase in trend of volume. The overall costs of goods manufactured have increa sed but in 2011 it has slightly decreased as compared to the year 2010. The opening finished goods have shown increasing trend that indicates that there is an increase in sales which shows the efficient operations of the company in producing the products. The costs of goods sold have increased over 3 years period but it has slightly reduced in year 2011 showing somewhat a better cost related activities performance. Bestway Cement Limited Income Statement Year 2011 2010 2009 Net Sales 14,814,797,196.0 7,487,162,751.0 5,649,378,012.0 Cost of goods sold 10,044,450,173.0 6 ,478,902,770 4,636,508,040.0 Gross Profit 4,770,347,023.0 1,008,259,981.0 1,012,869,972.0 Selling and Distribution Cost 140,138,550.0 1 19,917,940 1 03,121,152 Administration Expense 1,395,877,311.0 300,827,927.0 3 8,278,894 Operating Profit 327,972,309.0 (229,490,785.0) (396,632,200.0) Other Income Other Operating Expense 71,506,461.0 Finance Cost 2,286,086,256.0 1,236,140,238.0 1,211,745,924.0 Workers Profit Participation Fund Profit For The Year Before Taxation 1,204,710,754.0 (419,135,339.0) 56,356,202.0 Taxation (230,686,768.0) 587,716,818.0 4,817,471.0 Profit After Taxation 974,023,986.0 168,581,479.0 51,538,731.0 Analysis of the Income Statement Income statements show the Sales, the CGS, the Operating Profit and the Profit before and after Tax for the company at the end of each year for the 3 years. As we can see from the table above, there is an increasing trend for the sales of the company each year which makes us ponder and perhaps believe that the company is not severely hit by the energy crisis. On the other hand the Distribution and Administration Costs have also increased proportionately. It is seen that in the year 2011 there is a drastic increase in the Administrative costs. This implies that the company has increased it labor force to handle the administrative matters in the company. Finance cost has also almost doubled in the year 2011. This clearly tells us that the company has taken heavy loans to either expand themselves or to facilitate the current setup. The company incurred the Other Operating Expenses only in the year 2011, despite that the company managed to make profits in this fiscal year. Bes tway Limited not only covered the losses it made in the year 2010 but also showed a profit in the year 2011. Profit before Taxation was negative in year 2010, and then it almost tripled in the year 2011 because in that the company made a profit. Dewan Cement Limited Dewan Cement Limited (the Company / DCL) formerly known as Pakland Cement Limited was incorporated in Pakistan as a public limited Company in March, 1980. Its shares are quoted on the Karachi and Lahore Stock Exchanges since June, 1989. The registered office of the Company is situated at 7th Floor, Block A, Finance and Trade Centre, Shahrahe- Faisal, Karachi. The principal activity of the Company is manufacture and sale of cement. The company exports its product to Afghanistan. The total number of employees working in Dewan Cement Company ranges to about 211 employees. Dewan Cement Ltd. is the second largest producer of Cement in South zone in Pakistan, and its immediate focus is to be the leader in south zone. Dewan Cement Ltd. manufactures high quality cement using dry process suspension pre-heater with precalcination technology. The rated capacity of Dewan Cement Ltd. is 787,500 tons per year. Cement Plant is located at Dhabeji. The company is extending its production by doub ling its capacity through installing another line, which is under construction. Factories Locations There are two factories of Dewan Cement Limited that are located as follows: Factory South Unit (Line-I II); Deh Dhando, Dhabeji; District, Malir, Karachi. Factory North Unit (Line-I II); Kalimpur Near Hattar; District, Haripur N.W.F.P. Products Company is engaged in manufacturing and sales of following types of cement product South Unit (Line-I II) Sulphate Resistant Cement- (SRC) Ordinary Portland Cement- (OPC) Slag Cement- (Slag) Clinker North Unit (Line-I II) Ordinary Portland Cement- (OPC) Clinker Capacity The installed and utilized capacities of the factories for cement and clinker product were as follows including Line II for clinker of South Unit that commenced during the year, having 900,000 tons capacity. Since it was under usage only for nine months, therefore for comparison purposes the results have been taken as 720,000 tons installed and utilize capacity of clinker and cement has been reflected separately in next pages. They have two production plants with an accumulated installed capacity of 10,000 tons. 1. Hattar Unit: Plant with two production lines is situated in Hattar near Pakistans capital Islamabad we are producing 3500 tons TPD of finest quality Ordinary Portland cement conforms to BS 12/1996 (42.5 Grades). Besides catering local need, cement is primarily being exported to Afghanistan and India. The company plans to export to other countries as well. (AliBaba, 2011) 2. Karachi Unit: This plant also has two production lines with total capacity of 6500 tons T PD. In this plant we manufacture Ordinary Portland Cement, Sulphate Resisting Cement and Blast Furnace Slag Cement. All exports through sea to countries above mentioned is done from this plant besides catering local market. Karachi unit helps us to be most competitive as we are most near to port then any other cement factory. (AliBaba, 2011) DEWAN CEMENT ANALYSIS of INCOME STATEMENT The income statement for the 3 years is as follows: Income Statement Year 2009 2010 2011 Net Turnover 4,598,002 5,682,571 3,494,784 Cost of sales 4,706,326 5,249,197 3,800,662 Cost of sales to Sales 102.4% 92.4% 108.8% Gross profit -108,324 433,374 -305,878 Gross Profit to Sales -2.4% 7.6% -8.8%  Distribution costs 94,741 192,475 120,332 Administrative expenses 246,815 157,534 180,579 Other operating expenses 88,325 -27,609 -4,589 Other operating Income 281,025 30,945 3,046 Operating (loss)/Profit -257,180 86,701 -608,332 Finance costs 325,142 463,191 11,153 Loss/Profit before taxation -582,322 -376,490 619,485  Taxation 83,185 213,282 3,279  Loss/Profit After Tax -499,137 -163,298 -622,764 Loss/Profit after tax to Sales -10.86% -2.87% -17.82%  Loss per share Basic and diluted -1.39 -0.46 -2.74 Analysis 2009 The net turnover for the year was Rs. 4,598,002,000, of this the cost of sales was Rs 4,706,326,000 which was greater than the sales made. The cost of sales was 102.4% of sales made. Hence the gross profit which is calculated by subtracting sales from CGS. This turns out to be a net loss of Rs. 108,324,000. The gross profit to sales is also a negative value as the gross profit was negative. This value is -2.4%. The costs that have been incurred include distribution costs, administrative costs, and other operating expense. These are Rs. 94,741,000, Rs. 246,815,000, Rs. 88,325,000, Rs. 281,025,000. This results in a net operating loss of Rs. -257,180,000. While finance costs which may include interest expense are Rs. 325,142,000. As a result of these expenses the net operating loss becomes Rs. 582,322,000. The tax rebate on this loss is Rs. 83,185,000. This results in a loss after tax of Rs. 499,137,000. As a result of this the loss to sales ratio turns out to be -10.86% and th is also results in a negative loss per share of -1.39. Analsyis 2010 The net turnover for the year was Rs. 5,682,571,000 of this the cost of sales was Rs 5,249,197,000 which was greater than the sales made. The cost of sales was 92.4% of sales made. Hence the gross profit which is calculated by subtracting sales from CGS. This turns out to be a net profit of Rs. 433,374,000. The gross profit to sales is a positive value as the gross profit was positive. This value is 7.6%. The costs that have been incurred include distribution costs, administrative costs, and other operating expense and other operating income. These are Rs. 192,475,000, Rs. 157,534,000, Rs. -27,609,000, Rs. 30,945,000. This results in a net operating profit of Rs. 86,701,000. While finance costs which may include interest expense are Rs. 463,191,000. As a result of these expenses the net operating loss becomes Rs. 376,490,000. The tax rebate on this loss is Rs. 213,282,000. This results in a loss after tax of Rs. 163,298,000. As a result of this the loss to sales ratio turns o ut to be -2.87% and this also results in a negative loss per share of -0.49. Analysis 2011 The net turnover for the year was Rs. 3,494,784,000 of this the cost of sales was Rs 3,800,662,000 which was greater than the sales made. The cost of sales was 108.8% of sales made. Hence the gross profit which is calculated by subtracting sales from CGS. This turns out to be a net loss of Rs. 305,878,000. The gross profit to sales is also a negative value as the gross profit was negative. This value is 8.8%. The costs that have been incurred include distribution costs, administrative costs, and other operating expense and other operating income. These are Rs.120,332,000 Rs.180,579,000, Rs. -4,589,000, Rs. 3,046,000. This results in a net operating loss of Rs. 608,332,000. While finance costs which may include interest expense are Rs. 11,153,000. As a result of these expenses the net operating loss becomes Rs. 619,485,000. The tax rebate on this loss is Rs. 3,279,000. This results in a loss after tax of Rs. 622,724,000. As a result of this the loss to sales ratio turns out to be -17.82% and this also results in a negative loss per share of -2.74. ANALYSIS OF COST OF GOODS SOLD The three year Cost data is provided below: COST 2009 2010 2011 Total volume produced cement (Ton) 1,568,253 1,293,252 937,418 Total volume produced (Kg) 1,568,253,000 1,293,252,000 937,418,000 Total Sales of Cement 4,512,629,000 5,636,342,000 3,464,915,000 Total Cost of Cement Sold (000s) 4,661,073 5,211,622 3,772,846 Total Cost in Rs. 4,661,073,000 5,211,622,000 3,772,846,000     Average Unit Cost per ton 2,972 4,030 4,025 Average Unit Cost per kg 2.97 4.03 4.02     Average Unit Price per ton 2877.49 4358.27 3696.23 Average Unit Price per kg 2.88 4.36 3.70 Method In order to obtain the average unit cost and average unit price for each year the following steps have been taken. The total volume of cement produced in tons The value of tons has been multiplied by 1000 to get the value for volume of cements produced in kilo grams. After that the total sales have been extracted from the financial statements. The total cost of cement has been taken from the cost of goods sold statement. Sales divided by volume gives us the sales per unit Cost divided by volume gives us the cost per unit Year 2009 The average unit cost per kilograms is 2.97, while the average unit price is 2.88 per kilograms. There is an evident increase in cost compared to the price which means there is loss involved in selling. Year 2010 The average unit cost per kilograms is 4.03, while the average unit price is 4.36 per kilograms. In this case, the cost compared to the price is low. This is an indication of a positive profitability. Year 2011 The average unit cost per kilograms is 4.02, while the average unit price is 3.77 per kilograms. There is a visible increase in cost compared to the price which means there is loss involved in selling Literature Review Baqar Jafri (2007), points out that war in Afghanistan and other external factors have created an increased demand in regional constructional activities in the last five years. These factors have helped cement export of Pakistan to increase to a decent level earning foreign exchange. Hence, it helped the budget deficit in Pakistan to ease up. In 2007/08 construction increased due to the development spending in health, education and infrastructure sector. As a result the budget earmarked a record 520 billion rupees for the public sector. From 2003 to 2007 cement industry of Pakistan had registered an average growth rate of 20pc. Cement export is expected to reach 6.6 million tons in financial year 2008 in the light of growing regional demand for construction. According to Baqir, Orascom Telecom, a leading mobile telecommunications company with various international operations, has been keen to invest in the cement industry realizing its tremendous growth potential. This will t ake the industry to a level up. On the other hand, there is high export of cement to Middle-Eastern countries. There is also a growing demand for cement in India and Afghanistan. Housing sector has been looked upon as stimulator of economic growth since there is a large estimated gap of 5.38 million housing units against annual addition of 300,000 units in the country, many tax exemption and incentives are provided to encourage new construction activities in the country. This will stimulate growth of cement industry.   If negative factors are looked into, we find that hike in discount rate will mar cement sectors growth Business Recorder (2012) gives a detailed outlook of the company till October 2012. The article mentions that company has performed tremendously during this financial year as compares to the previous year where it had incurred losses. During the FY12, the company was able to operate 66 percent of its capacity and the sales also grew by 33.4 percent. Thi s performance can be attributed to the reduction in the financial charges, which went down by 23 percent resulting in a profit for the company. Furthermore, in the FY12 the company was able to achieve the highest earnings per share since 2008, which stood at Rs. 5.29. Despite operating in a very competitive industry Bestway was able to maintain its market share and sustain its position as one of the foremost exporters of the country. Mirza Rohail.B (2008) explains growth of cement industry as rightly considered to be a barometer for economic activity. In 1947, Pakistan inherited four cement that had a total capacity of 0.5 million tons. There was some expansion in this sector around 1956-66 but it could not carry on with this development due to countrys economic situation. Ever since Pakistan is importing cement till the mid 90s. The industry was privatized in 1990 which led to setting up of new plants. Cement industry is a very important segment of industrial sector and ha s the main role in the socio-economic development. Cement manufacturing requires hi-tech machinery and infrastructure. Most of the industries are situated in mountainous region that is rich in clay, iron and mineral capacity. Presently cement industry is working in its full capacity since there is a boom in commercial and industrial construction within Pakistan. The statistics of All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association also showed that cement exports had mounted to over 6 million tons in 7 months as compared to 3.62 million tons of same period of last fiscal year, depicting an increase of 2.38 million tons. Cement exports during January 2009 went up by 30% to 0.81 million tons as compared to 0.623 million tons in January 2008. Mirza rohail has supported his stance for cement industry showing statistics ,that there are 29 cement manufacturers that are playing a vital role in the building up the countrys economy and  contribution towards growth and prosperity. After 2002-3, most of the cement manufacturers expanded their operations, and increased production. This sector has invested about  $1.5 billion in capacity expansion over the last  six years. In international market the operating capacity of cement export in 1991 was 7 million tons, which increased to become 18 million tons by 2005-06 and by end of 2007 rose to above 37 million tones, and currently the production capacity  is 44.07 million tonnes. Cement production capacity in the north is 35.18 million tons (80 percent) while in the south it is only 8.89 million tons (20 percent). The cement industry of Pakistan entered the export markets a few years back, and has established its reputation as a good quality product. Deregulation after accession of Pakistan to WTO is expected to open the window of competition from cheaper markets.   The recent acquisition of Chakwal Cement by an Egyptian giant, Orascom may be a beginning of such an entry in Pakist an by multinationals. According to Sana Abdullah(2012) the recent comeback of profitability of Pakistans cement sector is mainly due to price leading growth in domestic market, with little change due to exports. Indeed, Pakistans exports dipped by 3.5% in the first seven months of the current fiscal year (which will end on 30 June 2012). Exports were down by 19.5% year-on-year through sea ports, with a lowering of demand in the Middle East to blame. IGI Securities is of the opinion that the prospects for increased cement exports to the Middle East will not improve in the next two years due to a supply glut in the Middle Eastern cement markets. We anticipate a decline in exports of around 5% to 9Mt in the entire 2012 fiscal year. Additionally, there is a prediction in Pakistan about the removal of Saudi Arabias cement import ban. This will benefit Pakistans cement export. However, IGI Securities is of the opinion that Pakistan will not be able to plug Saudi Arabias supply ga p. Instead it is likely that the neighboring UAE and Turkey, which have an estimated 50Mt/yr of excess cement capacity between them will benefit. While demand picked up in the fourth quarter of 2011 in the UAE, this is not believed to be enough to absorb the Emirates overcapacity, installed in 2009, which could easily supply the 4-5Mt/yr defecit in Saudi Arabia. In any case, it is likely that increasing diesel costs already render Pakistans cement an unattractive prospect for the Saudi Arabian market. ICR newsroom (2012) published in its article Pakistans cement manufacturers and exporters exported 545,125t of cement and earned US$46.197m in the first month of current FY12-13, ie July 2012, compared to 612,500t at US$52.064m in June 2012. This reflects a fall of 11 per cent and 11.27 per cent in terms of quantity and value in dollar, respectively, on a MoM basis, according to data released by the governments Federal Bureau of Statistics. Furthermore, if compared with July 2 011 data of 740,592t cement at   a value of US$39.074m, cement exports recorded a fall of 26.39 per cent in terms of quantity but showed a growth of 18.23. The average export price of cement is slightly down to US$84.75/t in July. A spokesman for the All-Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) in a statement said that exports to Afghanistan and India suffered a sharp drop. Exports to Afghanistan were down by 10.37 per cent to 455,897t, while exports to India slipped by 12.77 per cent to 54,233t. Exports by grinding plants in the southern zone edged down by 17.84 per cent in July 2012 compared with the corresponding month last year. Cement exports by grinding plants located in northern zone declined by 7.02 per cent, mainly because of high freight cost for export by sea, APCMA stated. Sana Abdullah (2011) investigated the increase in diesel, electricity and coal prices and how it has badly hit the cement industry, All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Associatio n (APCMA) said in a statement on Wednesday. Overall exports fell during the year but exports to Afghanistan the largest destination for local cement increased by 17 per cent to 3.78 million tons from 3.24 million tons. Local sales have also picked up since March as demand increased in the northern part of the country following development spending by the provincial government, said IGI Securities senior research analyst Sana Abdullah. Cement prices could inch up further to Rs425 to Rs430 per bag by the end of June due to rising input costs, said Abdullah. Prices are currently hovering around Rs395 per bag in the north and Rs370 per bag in the south. Cement prices have shot up by almost 40 per cent in this financial year. Pak Tribune (2012) explains that the cement industry faced huge losses in the financial year 2011. As compared to other construction industries the cement industrys ex-factory prices have not risen since a decade. Due to this, most of the companies are experiencing huge losses and their systems are becoming impaired. During the last financial year 2010-2011, 11 cement units suffered loss before taxation aggregating to Rs 5.681 billion while seven cement units, of which two are located near Karachi in close proximity to the sea port, earned profit of Rs 5.982 billion. (Pakistan News Service, 2009) This clearly shows that those units which were located near the harbor exported their production and therefore registered profits. On the other hand units which were located far away from the harbor had to incur huge transportation costs and decided to sell their production in the local market at low prices. As a result the units incurred losses. According to the author the prices of inputs have also gone up over the years. This has increased the overall production cost of cement. Due to a slow rate of construction in the economy the companies are unable to charge the prices from the consumers and are forced to keep the prices low. Th e author also highlighted the devaluation of Pakistani currency and its adverse effect on the economy. The author mentions that there was a devaluation of Rs. 5 in eight years starting from 2000-01 to 2007-08. (Business Recorder, 2011) The news mentioned in this article shed light on the first half of cement industry in the year fiscal year 2012. The industry has shown some impressive numbers in this half as compared to fiscal year 2011. The profits are primarily attributed to the increased prices charged from the consumers. According to the article the cement industry reported a profit of Rs 5.2 billion as opposed to a loss of 1.6 billion during the same period in the last fiscal year. Net sales of the sector posted a healthy growth of 33 percent YoY to Rs 70 billion during July-December of fiscal year 2011-2012 as compared to Rs 53 billion in corresponding period of last fiscal year, revealed InvestCap in a research report on cement sector. As per the article DG Khan Ceme nt posted enormous growth in first half and its earnings with a jump of 566 percent YoY increased to Rs 1.28 billion. Bestway Cement, stood third in row with 14 percent contribution to sector profits, also saw a turnaround in the net profit compared to losses in same period of last year, followed by Kohat Cement and Attock Cement with 11 percent and 10 percent share in sectors profits against minus 4 percent and 8 percent last year respectively. (Syndicate 4, 2012) According to this report, there are a total number of twenty nine cement companies in Pakistan. Twenty six cement companies are listed on the stock exchange. Out of these listed companies four of them are foreign companies. For the survival and growth of such an industry in our country there are a few pre requisites. Establishment of a proper infrastructure and conducive location are the most important ones. Most of the cement industries established in our country are located in mountainous areas where they have an acc ess to clay, iron, and mineral capacity. Furthermore, the report sheds light on the type of market that exists in Pakistan. The cement industry in Pakistan has acquired a shape of oligopoly. Meaning, there are a few major players in the market which decide on the pricing strategy of the product. The disadvantage of such a system is that they can create a monopolistic competition in the market and charge very high prices from the consumers. However that has not happened yet in the Pakistani market because of very low demand of cement due to very less or no construction. There is also a bright side to this oligopolistic competition. The companies can mount pressure on the government and ask them to give subsidies on the inland transportation system. The report further mentions the industrys unhappiness with the taxes levied on the industry. This results in increased cost of production of the product. Also, the rising cost of energy is another source of concern for the industry. According to the report, the national installed capacity of the cement industry is 44 million tons. The capacity utilization fluctuates from 70 75%. This shows that the capacity of the plants remain unutilized most of the time. Lime and gypsum are the two major inputs in the manufacturing of cement. Pakistan is blessed with mineral wealth. In a survey conducted by the Geological Survey of Pakistan, the country possesses large reserves of Limestone and the annual production is estimated at 8,698,573 metric tones. (B., 2008) The author in this compilation highlights the challenges faced by the Pakistan Cement Industry. The most apparent challenge faced by this industry is the rising inflation and the increasing interest rates. It is a huge disadvantage for not only the local investors who wish to expand their businesses but also for the foreign investors. Another challenge is the huge taxes levied on the cement industry. The government should take this matter seriously and redu ce the taxes on this industry. Research Question A research question should be clearly defined. There should be no ambiguities in a research question because that would make a research faulty. A research question specifies the objective of the study and the path that will be undertaken to answer that particular question. Once it is decided the researcher then decides to use qu

The Twelfth Night - Development of Themes - 889 Words

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In Twelfth Night he develops the idea of ‘Love as a cause of pain’ through techniques such as negative connotations. His development also includes the ideas of madness, superficial love and the art of disguise. The collaboration of these language features makes one amazing extended text, which is hailed by many to be one of Shakespeare’s mostShow MoreRelatedThe Twelfth Night: A Happy Ending? Essay1501 Words   |  7 Pagesdegree of expectation with the genre of comedy that despite whatever difficulties appear within the play, by the end these will be resolved and the play will have a traditional happy-ending with a marriage or a celebration in the final scene. The â€Å"Twelfth Night† is no exception to this rule. 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For what says Quinapalus? Better a witty fool than a foolish wit. Shakespeares plays were written to be performed to an audience from different social classes and

Adaptation to Terrestrial Living free essay sample

Terrestrial ecology or dry lands are zones that have limited availability of soil water due low penetration and high evaporation of the water. They don’t give enough precipitation distribution to sustain water resources that meet plant requirements. This leads to moisture input being less than the moisture loss in plants. Plants adapt to terrestrial land in different forms, some of them include; surface pores (stomata) which makes exchange of gases possible, a waxy cuticle, reproductive structures that are protected and embryonic sporophyte retention in the female gametophyte. In order for the plants to utilize mineral resources in the soil and water, the plant’s roots respond by having large surface areas that are supported by mycorrhiza. They also possess some vascular tissue in which the food and water are conducted. In addition to this, the plant roots lack chlorophyll and wax (Sukumar, 2003, pp. 56). The plant has got leaves and Stems that are responsible for tapping light and carbon dioxide that enables photosynthesis to take place. We will write a custom essay sample on Adaptation to Terrestrial Living or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In order for that plant to utilize this effectively the leaves and the stems do have waxy covering that inhibit loss of water and some chloroplasts which moves to get arrangement for light absorption in the best approach. The leaves also have turgo pressure which inhibits the wilting of the leaves. To prevent excess water loss through the leaves that may make the plant dry up, the leaves are structured in a way that their stomata controls the loss of water and the absorption of carbon dioxide (Sukmar, 2003, pp.67). Gravitational forces prevent the plant to grow in a vertical manner. To overcome this, the plant has got Lignin which is used to reinforce cellulose. It is a skeletal support that gives turgo pressure chance to increase in order to support the plants rigidity. Another adaptation of plants to terrestrial living is the vascular transport system. This is essential since the plant needs a mechanism that inhibits water loss as well as efficient conduction of the water. This vascular system is composed of the xylem, microscopic pipes and phloem. Lignified Xylem adds to the tissue that supports the plant. Dryness is another problem of plants in adapting to terrestrial living which the plant has got no option but to adapt to. The plant responds to this in several ways; the seeds assist in dispersion of plants. They also have the capability to survive the harshest conditions. Some of the seeds do survive for many years till favorable conditions come, when it sprouts. In order for the plant to spread, the male gametophyte part of the pollen is structured in a way that it travels big distances being carried by either insects or the wind. The plant has diploid condition that shows all the above described specialized tissues that help in dominance of generation of Sporophyte (Adger, 2001, pp.89). To make good utilization of reproduction system, the plants flowering system is structured to attract pollinators. The flowers are the co evolution products with animals and especially insect leading to efficient means of egg and sperm unity. The structure of their fruits helps to disperse the seeds. The flowers are designed in a specialized way that helps prevent self fertilization, reduces energy demands and at the same time attracting insects. The pollein grains of the plants hustling to adapt to terrestrial living have little moisture which makes them easy dispersed by wind and easily move from the anther to stigma. References: Adger W. Neil, 2001. Living with Environmental Change: Social Vulnerability, Adaptation and Resilience in Vietnam. London: Routledge; pp.89. Sukumar Raman, 2003. The Living Elephants: Evolution Ecology, Behavior and Conservation. Oxford: Oxford University Press; pp. 56, 67.

Kolyma Tales Review Essay Example

Kolyma Tales Review Paper Essay on Kolyma Tales Stories about the Stalinist repression in the years of perestroika published quite often. We remembered for a long time living abroad AI Solzhenitsyn, who is the ancestor of such literature, published oldies V. Tendryakova. Napechatli and Kolyma Tales Shalamov V. - the most terrible truth about that time, when all were probably prisoners read and uncontrolled fear creeps into your soul Shalamov master naturalistic descriptions We see them emaciated, sick poorly dressed. we hear champs galoshes pus, which are covered with frost-bitten feet, we see as a slap in the cold turns into a piece of ice (for a prisoner it means that the street is fifty degrees below zero and can hardly be made to work), we observe, how people fall, when they begin to lick arelki, because the work has to constantly and heavily, and with almost no food. For some reason I remember a jar of blueberry, which is to cook for the grain collects prisoner fisherman. He dies later nesolko minutes, while his companion pripryachet precious berries, because he knows for whom they were collected. I remember Andrei Fedorovich Platonov, the writer in his first life, who is dying waving Kyle. Too many deaths for one person. We will write a custom essay sample on Kolyma Tales Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Kolyma Tales Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Kolyma Tales Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The most optimistic, in my opinion, in the works of Shalamov is the image of dwarf. The author considers it the symbolic and the most poetic tree for the Russian people. Workshop of landscape sketches: Autumn is near, and now pours yellow fine needles, exposing larch, fawn grass collapses and dries, the wood becomes empty, and then far be seen as among the pale yellow grass and gray skies are burning in the forest great green torches elfin . Elfin a symbol of hope, trusting and strong cedar, which falls in the winter and rises in the first heat, sometimes deceptive. . And the wood of dwarf hotter When returning from camps and exile Shalamova asked whether a person can passed through this hell remains a man, the writer answered with one word: No! And I think he succeeded, because all his life he fought for this good fellow in itself, as would be cruel nor came to life him.