KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — The price index of steel for September 2023 dropped between -0.1 per cent and -4.0 per cent in the price index per unit of steel for almost all areas compared to August, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said a month-on-month comparison of construction materials and selected areas showed a decrease in the unit price index for selected materials like steel, sand, bricks, wall, and plumbing materials for most areas of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak.
“The unit price index of cement for most areas remained unchanged compared to August, while a slight increase was recorded for Penang, Kedah and Perlis (0.5 per cent), Terengganu and Kelantan (0.3 per cent), Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan (0.2 per cent),” he said.
The average price per unit of steel, consisting of mild steel round bars and Mycon 60 high tensile deformed bars, was RM3,586.98 per metric tonne, recording a slight decrease of 0.9 per cent compared to August.
Meanwhile, the Building Cost Material Index (BCI) (with steel bars) for all building categories in Peninsular Malaysia increased between 0.1 per cent and 0.5 per cent in September compared to the previous month.
“The highest increase was recorded for two- to four-storey reinforced concrete buildings (flat roof) in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang,” Uzir said.
— Bernama
