It finally turns on some hope for the construction sector. For 2021, in fact, growth of 12% is expected, in clear contrast to the minus 8.5% recorded in 2020. An annual forecast confirmed by the trend of these first months of 2021, as shown by the surveys of the Istat. Indeed, it would go beyond the pre-pandemic level and this even before the actual availability of huge resources from the European Union and, for private individuals, from the larger meshes of the banking system.
For Cresme (a research institute specialized in the construction sector), growth could be even greater than that hypothesized by Istat thanks to a series of particularly favorable economic factors. There thrust towards comforting levels of growth is undoubtedly the result of tax incentives, starting with the 90% facades bonus and Superbonus 110%.
But unfortunately, not all that glitters is gold and the construction sector could fall back into the crisis due to the worrying problem of “expensive materials”. In fact, what is necessary on construction sites is undergoing a surge in prices. One could take the example of the dizzying increase in the cost of steel (+ 130% in the space of a few months), as well as wood (+ 100%), plastics and all products related to thermal insulation. (and therefore to the Superbonus). An increase in costs which is linked to an increasingly evident slowdown in the delivery of materials, due to a greater absorption of the Chinese market (from which most of these materials come) and transport difficulties (whose costs have skyrocketed towards the top).
It is clear, therefore, that this situation must be thoroughly analyzed to try not to be caught unprepared when many companies in the sector fail to complete the processing cycles within the established deadlines. All this becomes even more compelling if we consider public works and this is why the Public Administration, in its role as contracting authority, must understand that it is necessary to establish a real collaboration with companies to jointly identify viable solutions, eliminating an increasingly useless recourse to disputes.
To settle on “rigidity”, in fact, by ignoring increases in raw material costs so conspicuous, it means making it impossible for companies to complete the works. This is why it is necessary to write new rules that protect all subjects in the field from various types of risks.
In short, one comes out of such a difficult situation only through a new climate of collaboration and in full awareness that “expensive materials” is not a problem that can fall exclusively on companies without fully involving the contracting authorities.
* Sole director of the Cobuild stable consortium