70% of construction materials and supplies such as health and faucets had a sales drop compared to a year ago. This is shown by the latest edition of the monthly survey Index Builda, with the participation of 506 signatures of the sector, including FV, Ferrum, Parexklaukol, Plavicon, San Lorenzo and Peisa ceramics. A 44% of the total replied that the decline in the activity was greater than 20% in the last year. For another 15%, the retraction was between 10%and 20%, meanwhile, for the remaining 10%the contraction was less than 10%. Meanwhile, 16% managed to maintain the level of activity, while 15% increased: from that group, 7% had a rise less than 10%, for 6% the increase was between 10% and 20%, and by 2% the rise was greater than 20%. Among the main difficulties they face, are the greatest costs, the decrease in demand and exchange uncertainty. Also factors such as the greatest tax pressure, lack of infrastructure of public services, delays in the approvals of permits and scarcity of qualified labor the highest construction cost – which appears as the main challenge, in 23% of the cases -, was the biggest challenge for four links in the value chain: architects, developers, builders and engineers. And it was the second difficulty for material distributors, the report said. Real estate were the most optimistic about the dynamics of activity in the last year. Of the total, 50% indicated a higher level of operations. Secondly, the builders were located, with 29% who said they had a greater activity. The engineers occupied the third place. 19% saw an improvement in the last twelve months. Soon, the rest saw a negative panorama: the developers were located in fourth place. 53% of them indicated that they had a decrease in activity. By their part, 76% of material distributors had a decrease in the level of activity and were located in fifth place. And in the last place the architects remained, with 69% who considered that there was a contraction in the last year. However, the survey threw a slight improvement of expectations for the next 12 months, in which the ads of last week of the government could influence to encourage the use of “dollars under the matt Total, almost half, 47%, considered that its activity will be greater in a year, while 29% expects that it will be the same and 24% estimate that it will be lower. According to companies, the construction considered as a value shelter is the key variable that drives the business, in 21% of cases, in which it remained the main facilitator, the report said. They also impact the recovery of economic activity (in 19%of cases), the growth of private works, spare parts and extensions (11%), the money laundering (11%), the greater availability of financing (10%), the decrease in the price in dollars of the square meter (9%) and the highest profitability (4%).
