拉法基集团董事长兼首席执行官Bruno Lafont在马来西亚时说，他预计全球水泥消费量将下降3％左右。“不过，保守起见，我们没有过多考虑各个国家已经宣布的经济刺激方案。因为每个经济刺激方案都包括基础设施作为组成部分，所以我们不考虑并不是因为他们不会影响水泥需求，而是因为我们不知道他们将从什么时候开始生效。”
Bruno Lafont对马来西亚进行了为期两天的访问，以会见主要股东。在此期间，他接受StarBiz的采访时说“因此，刺激方案实行后的效果可能提升水泥需求。它应该对今年的水泥需求有重大的积极影响。”
因为经济不景气已经影响到了全球的建筑和基础设施活动，Lafont预计今年全球水泥消费将下降3％左右。
据他说，去年全球水泥需求已开始下降，主要是由于发达国家的经济放缓，如美国，英国和西班牙。
Lafont还表示，2007年以前的25年来，全球水泥需求一直以平均每年5％的速度在增长，显示出新兴市场的强劲增长。
他还说“得益于大多数新兴市场的良好增长，去年水泥需求仍增长了2％”。
Lafont还预计今年马来西亚的水泥需求也将放缓。他说“我们不是十分乐观，但今年的刺激计划将有所帮助”。
马来西亚2008年水泥需求同比2007年增长了7％ ，至1700万吨。
拉法基集团，目前业务遍及大约80个国家，截止2008年12月31日，集团营业利润同比2007年增长2.2％，为33.6亿欧元。收入提高了8％，至190.3亿欧元。
附英文：
Lafarge predicts fall in Global Cement demand
Lafarge SA, the world’s biggest cement maker, has predicted a fall in the demand for cement globally this year. The contraction in cement demand will be the first in 25 years.
Lafarge chairman and chief executive officer Bruno Lafont said in Malaysia that he expects cement consumption worldwide to fall by up to 3% this year.
“However, to be conservative, we did not take much into account the economic stimulus packages that have been announced by various countries, not because they will not have an influence on cement demand as they all have an infrastructure component, but because we do not know when they will start to take effect.
“So there could be upsides depending on the effectiveness of the implementation of the stimulus packages. It should have a positive material impact on demand this year,” he told StarBiz in an interview during his two-day visit to Malaysia to meet key stakeholders.
Lafont expects cement consumption worldwide to drop by up to 3% this year as the economic downturn has impacted the construction and infrastructure activities globally.
According to him, the global cement demand had started to drop last year mainly due to the economic slowdown in developed countries such as the United States, Britain and Spain.
Lafont also said that the global demand for cement has been growing at an average 5% annually for the past 25 years until 2007, showing signs of strong growth in emerging markets.
“Demand still grew to 2% last year boosted by good growth in most emerging markets,” he added.
Lafont also foresees a slowdown in cement demand in the country this year.
“We are not extremely optimistic this year but the stimulus package will help,” he said.
The country’s cement demand grew 7% to about 17 million tonnes last year versus 2007.
The Lafarge group, which has a presence in some 80 countries, recorded a 2.2% growth in operating profit to 3.36 billion euros for the year ended Dec 31, 2008 versus 2007 while revenue improved by 8% to 19.03 billion euros. Lafont expects cement consumption worldwide to drop by up to 3% this year as the economic downturn has impacted the construction and infrastructure activities globally.
