Makassar, South Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - PT Semen Tonasa controls 47 percent of cement market in Indonesian eastern regions, its president director, Sattar Taba, said here on Saturday.

He said it is competing with three cement producers in the market namely Indocement, Holcim and Semen Bosowa.

He said he was optimistic the company could meet its production target of 3.8 million tons this year due to increasing demand in the regions especially South Sulawesi.

"South Sulawesi takes 20 percent of cement production used in the Indonesian eastern regions," he said.

Driven by the big number of private projects in the regions he said the company had decided to increase the target of its production.

"There are many private projects in the eastern regions like the development of Karebbe Dam and the 150 kilometer-long Makassar-Parepare toll road in South Sulawesi that uses cement," he said.

He said the market is still wide open although the market is Papua is declining.

He said in the first semester of 2010 the company's production increased by around five percent from last year.

"We are targeting increasing around 10 percent to 3.8 million tons from last year's target of 3.6 million tons," he said. (T.SYS/H-YH)