The cement production in Pakistan would cross 45 million tons per annum in next four years to meet the country's increasing demand of infrastructure development, a senior government official said Tuesday.

Talking to CNBC Pakistan channel, Pakistani State Minister for Finance Umer Ayub Khan said cement production will cross 37 million tons by the end of December 2007.

It was only 17 million to 18 million tons per annum a few years ago, he added.

The increase is to meet the rapidly increasing demands as massive infrastructure development activities are continuing in the country, the official said.

About the micro credit project, he said micro credit facilities have been provided to Pakistan's middle class in a bid to enable them to open small businesses.

He added that more than one million households have so far been extended micro credit facilities and plan has already been finalized to extend micro credit facilities to more than three million people in the next three years.

Source: Xinhua