SATE: Construction companies’ day-to-day operation, nearly impossible

With the first support measures already in place since last week for the construction sector, there is an ongoing fight for their supplement as well as the improvement of the hard everyday routine in the construction sites.

With a new letter sent to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, SATE points out that there are still serious unsolved problems that affect the very survival of the sector’s businesses.

One of these is the transfer of staff to the construction sites (due to traffic restrictions), especially for ‘away’ projects. For example, it is know, that, as far as the islands are concerned, there is a travel ban for non-residents. The problem is even worse for ‘away’ projects given that hotels and tourist accommodation have now been closed.

Another major problem is the difficulty in the supply of raw materials, spare parts and imported machinery (even for pipes and cements) and additional types of safety and hygiene equipment (i.e. masks, molds, antiseptics) for which there is a serious shortage in the market.

Also at the construction site, SATE has identified technical difficulties in maintaining safety distances and meeting a maximum number of employees per site. It is also pointed out that there is also the human factor, namely the fear and unwillingness for workers to go to work.

Difficulties in the communication with public services

The country’s lock-down to tackle the spread of the coronavirus has created side-effects in the field of public projects. As stated in the letter of SATE, the employees of technical services work less than 50% due to various permits, fear of showing up, etc.

They also avoid not only construction site visits but also to accept visits from site engineers and contractors to their offices. The same is true for tax offices and the courts.

In this letter, SATE calls for the resolution of the above problems and the integration of contracting-construction companies into coronavirus-hit businesses.