August 22,2009 - Holcim, the world's second-largest cement maker said goverment stimulus packages in U.S. and European would boost the construction industry after the downturn in the United States eased in the second quater of 2010,Reuters reported on Thursday.

Holcim cautioned it still expects conditions in the United States, the UK and Eastern European to remain challenging as fewer houses go up, and said it was rainsing its 2009-cutting target to 600 million francs after targeting 375 million. The economic downtown has caused property prices to slump, chocking off growth in the construction industry, especially in industialized markets.

Demand in emerging markets  like Asia,Idia, Latin America and the Middle East, was, however, likely to come in the course of 2010 or 2011. This applies to the North American, West European and East European markets,'' Chief Executive Markus Akermann told reporters. "Growth will continue in the developing markets. Asia will be the locomotive of the world economy."

Lafarge gave a bleak outlook last month, cutting its 2009 forecast for the global cement market, while Heidelberg Cement has said it expects its 2009 sales and operating profit to fall.

AGGREGATES & ROADBUILDING
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