CONSTRUCTION already accumulates 18 consecutive months of fall

Construction activity plummeted 22.1% in February and marked 18 consecutive months of recession, which would have worsened in March due to the impact of the quarantine applied to the coronavirus.

According to the Synthetic Indicator of Construction Activity (ISAC) released by INDEC, the sector accumulates a fall of 17.8% in the year.

In February, activity improved just 0.3% compared to January, and added two months in a row of positive indicators, in that comparison, but most specialists consider that this small recovery month by month suffered an abrupt interruption in March.

The survey carried out by INDEC had registered that 46.1% of the companies that worked in the private sector and 59.1% of those that participated in public works, already predicted a drop in the two-month period March-April.

This survey was carried out when the coronavirus pandemic had not yet been triggered in Argentina as well.

Among the companies linked to the private sector, 45.9% estimated that the activity will not change and only 8.0% that it will increase, while in those dedicated to public works, 31.8% estimated that the level will be maintained and 9 , 1% that will improve, in the next three months.

The report records that the surface area authorized by building permits granted in the 60 most important municipalities in the country had a drop of 18.7% in February compared to the same month of 2019.

The accumulated authorized surface during the first two months of the year showed a drop of 6.4% compared to the same period of the previous year.

Consumption of inputs for construction in February showed, compared to the same month of 2019, losses of 69.6% in asphalt, 52.6% in processed concrete, 38.7% in mosaics, 28.4% in iron and steels, 25.4% in cement, 23.9% in sanitary ware, 16.5% in lime, 11.5% in paints, 9.4% in plaster and 0.6% in bricks.

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