Cement Crisis Stalls Myanmar Earthquake Recovery Efforts

[geovalin]

April 2025

 

Reconstruction efforts following the devastating March 28 earthquake in Myanmar are being severely hampered by skyrocketing cement prices and supply shortages, particularly in the worst-hit regions of Mandalay, Naypyitaw, and Sagaing.

 

Before the quake, a sack of cement cost around 17,000 kyats (US$4). Prices have since surged to as high as 40,000 kyats in some areas, builders report. Although the regime pledged to subsidize cement for recovery, this relief appears limited to select locations in Naypyitaw.

 

“There are long lines and a 10-sack-per-person limit where government-subsidized cement is available. In most places, it’s overpriced or unavailable,” one resident told The Irrawaddy.

 

In Sagaing, where many shops were damaged or shuttered by the quake, long queues have formed at the few stores still operating. “We’re forced to pay whatever price we can find to keep working,” said a local contractor.

 

The scarcity is compounded by a drop in cement production. Only six of Myanmar’s nine cement plants are currently operational, producing just 340,000 sacks daily, far below demand.

 

Even in Mandalay, where smaller outlets continue to sell limited quantities, prices have spiked above 30,000 kyats. Bricks have also doubled in cost.

 

The Indian government has donated 4,500 sacks of cement, but locals fear it will be allocated mainly to state-managed projects in Naypyitaw, not to broader public recovery.

 

The building sector is also facing labor shortages. “We’re not constructing—only demolishing damaged structures,” said one construction source. “Even large suppliers are rationing.”

 

Authorities say they’ve launched inspections of over 300 building supply outlets across major cities and filed price-gouging cases against more than 60 shops. Still, residents and contractors see little relief in sight.

 

The crisis highlights broader economic dysfunction in post-coup Myanmar, where even disaster response is strained by inflation, broken supply chains, and uneven governance.

 

-2025-05-29