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The stoppage generated in recent days in the industrial sector threatens to generate a crisis in construction. Seopan, the employers of the large construction companies and concessionaires, has warned that the activity of the sector has dropped to 3,8% if a breakdown occurs. Just two weeks of shortage of materials meant a reduction in activity of 2.385 million euros per week.
All this within a year in which, under normal conditions, there will be an increase in construction production of 3,9%, driven by civil works (+9,6%) and residential rehabilitation (+5,7 %). Steel and cement are the materials with the greatest weight in total purchases in the sector, with a 36% representation and a volume of 16.700 million euros.
The basket of construction materials represents 60% of intermediate consumption, obtaining a weight of materials of up to 40,2% of costs. Since December, aluminum (+49%), steel (+21%), wood (+17%) and copper (+13%) have risen sharply in price, putting further pressure on construction companies' costs.
Seopan, therefore, reported that the civil works forecasts are conditioned by the effectiveness of the revision of the contracts approved by the Government so that they include the impact of inflation.
The president of Seopan, Julián Núñez, highlighted this Thursday in the presentation of the association's forecasts that most of the contracts that will be signed in 2021 "will not be able to benefit from this decree" because it affects contracts with works in execution in 2021 it is considered that "it will be necessary" to adopt new means due to the impact of the increase in prices this year.
Seopan proposes to the Government that it is possible that all the contracts in execution can be decreed and not only those that will have the works in execution in 2021, and for the processes currently open and pending presentation of offers, the administration considers the "convenience of extending the dates of presentation of offers until the market recovers normality”.
In addition, the employers' association also proposes that the two-year deficiency be withdrawn in the price review of works to be tendered in 2022 and in contracts not benefiting from the decree, since it assumes that the price increase in that period "is not going to It will be reviewed".
Regarding the payment for use planted by the Government, the employers are committed to a model of payment by distance in which "the one who pollutes pays". Seopan assures that if these trips are used to implement recharging points for the electric vehicle, the owners of these vehicles would save money on each trip despite the new rates.
