Jakarta (ANTARA News) - PT Semen Indonesia Tbk. (SMGR) plans to increase its cement production capacity in Vietnam by expanding and increasing the number of its plants in that country, its president director, Dwi Sutjipto, said.

"The expansion plan has been fixed and tomorrow state enterprises minister Dahlan Iskan and I would meet with the Vietnamese President with regard to it," he said on the sidelines of "BUMN Innovation Expor & Award 2013" here on Thursday.

He said they would discuss business development in that country in the meeting with the Vietnamese president and making that country as the hub of cement marketing for the ASEAN region.

"We wish to know market development in Vietnam directly from the Vietnamese president," he said.

PT Semen Indonesia early in 2013 entered Vietnam by acquiring around 70 percent of shares of Thang Long Cement Vietnam.

To acquire the Thang Long shares PT Semen Indonesia invested around Rp1.5 trillion.

Right now the production capacity of Thang Long cement factory reaches 2.3 million tons a year and they are mainly for meeting domestic needs in that country.

"Right now we have two factories, one in North and another one in South Vietnam. We wish to expand the factory in South Kalimantan

in view of the big market there, which is located close to Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam," he said.

Dwi however did tell about the investment that has been prepared for the expansion plan.

He said the planned talks with the Vietnamese president would not only touch on the matter but also on field problems such as land status and legality.

He admitted no obstacles had been met so far as bureaucracy, work atmosphere and security in Vietnam was good.

"We only wish production of PT Semen Indonesia would continue to increase at home and abroad," he said.

In 2013 PT Semen Indonesia`s production is set at more than 15 million tons coming from Semen Padang 6.5 million tons, Semen Tonasa 7 million tons, Semen Thang Long 2.3 million tons and from Rembang whose development is expected to be completed this year with a capacity of around 3 million tons.

(H-YH/B003)

Reporter: Royke Sinaga
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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