Briefs

PLN 500 mln for cement plant The dry building materials manufacturer Atlas, based in £ódŸ, has plans to invest PLN 500 mln (EUR 124.3 mln) in the construction of a cement plant, which is to be located near Opoczno in central Poland and be complete by 2006. The plant will use limestone deposits for cement production. Last year's drop in cement sales 2002 witnessed a 1.3% drop in cement sales last year to approximately 11.3 mln tonnes, from 11.45 the year before. Domestic companies' sales fell by 4.5% to 10.79 mln tones and the import of cement more than doubled to 550,000 tonnes, from a level of 204,500 tonnes in 2001, according to statistics released by the Association of Cement and Lime Producers. Exports fell 42% to 457,000 tonnes compared to the previous year. CSO on construction in December According the Polish Central Statistical Office, the rate of construction in Polan