EDITORIAL: No economic stimulation for the construction sector

The unexpected growth of more than 3.5% of the national economy in 2013, was a consequence of the surprisingly development in the industry sector (+2.3%) and agriculture (+1.1%). The results was negatively influenced by construction segment, with a quota of 7.9% in the GDP structure, which had a negative contribution (-0.1%). The achievements of the construction sector cumulated approximately 11.9 billion RON at current prices. However, the construction works decreased, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), with 1.6% in 2013 compared to 2012 (as adjusted series), along with a 9.4% depreciation of investments in construction. Nearly a quarter of the 84,000 controls made by the public authority engaged in construction supervising activities (ISC) have revealed non-compliant works, all in the context of recent reports issued by the European Commission and the European Anti - Fraud Office (OLAF) which indicates that the construction market among the most corrupt sectors. All these considerations make the local construction sector a "black sheep" of the economy in the last year. Despite this negative state, resulting from statistics published annually, the prospects are better in 2014, given the budget of almost 9 billion euro available for investment and the period following the election, which usually induces improvements in the standard of living of the population. Among the reasons that justify the optimism regarding evolution in this year are: the obligation to guarantee an economic growth assumed at European level, the two electoral events, financing of the current projects and start of the new ones, the mandatory alignment with the new European environmental rules which are included in the EU directives and opening of the labor market of the Western Europe. Under these conditions, both the state authorities and companies in the sector must achieve a minimum of 10 billion euro turnover in the field, which is indicated as a compulsory level to support the work of companies and "save" a strategic sector which has the capacity to be a real economic growth engine for Romania.