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Published Tuesday, March 23, 2021
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
According to the College of Engineers and Architects, construction specializing in housing and industries is high in demand during the first two months of this year, between January and February.
The College regulates the professional work of architects and engineers in the country.
According to the organization, during this period the request for construction permits of 1,374,552 square meters was registered, of which 95% is for housing projects, commercial, industrial and public infrastructure projects.
The construction of houses and industries are those that present a larger increase compared to the same period in 2020. The construction of houses grew by 22.4%, while the industrial buildings grew by 103.7%.
But the general construction sector which includes other types of projects showed a decrease of 9.2%, equivalent to 138,000 square meters, according to the report.
This decrease in the general sector may be caused by the decrease in the number of public works projects, such as roads and bridges, the College said.
The report shows that the construction of houses, aid houses projects of the government, offices, industrial warehouses and hotels grew between 2% and 115%.
But public building projects such as highways or bridges decreased by -85%.
According to the report, the provinces with the highest level of construction recovery are Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia and Limón.
However, in San José Province, there is a decrease of 79,848 square meters of construction.
According to the projections of the College, this year the construction sector would register a growth of 15% compared to 2020, that is, 9.5 million square meters, driven by the private sector and public works.
But, that projection will depend on advances in the country such as:
• An economic reactivation.
• More access to credit for construction.
• Following strict sanitary guidelines among workers while the vaccination campaign against covid-19 advances.
• Changes on the VAT tax linked to construction projects.
• Increasing the development of the country's infrastructure and urban public transport.
• Continuing with incentives to attract foreign investment.
-------------------------------------- What should the government improve to increase construction activity? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
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