Interview with José Manuel Galindo, President of pace, and Rafael Fernández Sánchez, President of CEPCO
June 21, 2010
The construction sector has been one of the hardest hit by the crisis. Do you think that 2011 will be a year of recovery?
José Manuel Galindo (APCE): In residential building, the stock will have roof in 2011, due to the improvement that we are already warning and which responds to objective aspects, such as the increase in the sale of homes from April 2009 on the granting of mortgages upward, and a diminishing prices fall. But this incipient improvement it is subject to the consolidation of the financial system, whose current situation makes it difficult to obtain loans, and the economic situation in general, that lately not holds us many joys.
Our estimate is that in 2010 to sell 300,000 new homes surrounding, 36% more than in 2009, so continue the trend, so next year will see a market ever recovered. Everything will depend on how the economic situation develops and the confidence they have citizens.
Rafael Fernández Sánchez (CEPCO): The current situation is not good, nor will it be as good as it was in the past, but we have to work on what we want to be build in the future. The figures already point something positive in 2010 but it will be very slight. Along these lines, in residential construction should be noted, on a recent report by the Ministry of housing, the source that there are 26 provinces in the area of technical stock and that, accordingly, they are waiting for financial decisions to start planning new projectswith very tight supply and demand.
With regard to public works, we are witnessing with concern to successive cuts by the Administration, but Spain is still far from having closed in a sustainable way its not only road infrastructure but also hospitals, schools, courts, stations of railway, etc., so the authorities with competence in the field must readjust their plans of work, but keep them sufficiently operational. We should also use this situation to be more demanding on the qualification of workers, as well as the quality of the materials used. The next crisis will do so, impact us exactly like now.
What role can have Construmat in economic recovery in the sector?
J.M.G.: Our industry needs forums as Construmat for construction professionals can interact. In this sense, the fair is presented as a good meeting point so that all actors in the construction are up to date, exchange experiences and to share experiences of their professional activity.
R.F.S.: Construmat is and will be a great help in economic recovery in the disclosure the reality of the sector, both technical installation and rehabilitation.
This year 2010 and as an initiative that has emerged within the framework of Construmat 2009 will be held the first Congress of rehabilitation and sustainability, organized by the Association of builders, Técnicos architects and engineers of Barcelona building, CAATEEB. Rehabilitation is one of the best ways to make the sector more than the crisis?
J.M.G.: Rehabilitation in the first quarter of the year represented 26% of the total number of visas for project management, six points more than in the first quarter of 2009. This figure shows the importance of this segment in the real estate activity. However, the latest initiatives of the Government in this area seem to have been 'cojas' and do not collect requests that the sector has been claiming, and through measures to promote the rehabilitation of whole buildings and neighborhoods, for what would be required of some regional regulations and local adaptation.
R.F.S.: The reform and rehabilitation in Spain has a very incipient development in all its aspects. If in the segment of new building costs understanding among all actors involved in the process (promoters, builders, architects, buyers) and we must be rigorous in all phases of implementation (materials, project, construction systems, qualification of labour force)in the rehabilitation occurs in a more pronounced way.
Are they sufficient? Do you think that we should encourage other measures?
J.M.G.: The collaboration between all actors is essential for the sector to have a clear and transparent information and a thorough knowledge of the real estate market. And it would be fine to have a map of location of the housing stock by geographical areas and by type to find out what they sold and at what prices.
R.F.S.: Need a change of culture in the people. Today is not the housing maintenance until that something fails and it is urgent to solve it. We must begin to 'repay' our housing, taking into account a total useful life and some allowance for reforms from time to time. We must bear in mind that this is the most sustainable of the entire construction part, as it generates a stable job, well qualified, specialized in different aspects and that will always be required if we change our culture of our own house-keeping. All this will take years, but let's start as soon as possible, better.
