PRODUCERS: The prices of construction materials will increase by 10% in 2014

The price of the construction materials will increase by 8% - 10% in 2014 due to the new fees concerning raw materials, the special taxation of buildings and the growth of the costs concerning electricity, gas and fuel transport, according to the estimates released by the Romanian Association of Building Materials Producers (APMCR). In 2013, the specific market reached 3.5 billion EUR (including the imports), the foresights for 2014 covering a maximum variation of 2%, coupled with the level of domestic demand and export availability. This evolution is possible given the fact that, virtually, the budget for constructions aims to invest funds about 12 billion EUR, if we include here other financial resources such as the European funds. "If we add to this as well the private funding, especially from the industrial construction segment, the investment budget could reach 13 billion EUR, the minimum amount for a slow restart of the construction industry. However, without an approved budget and a clear vision of how to use the European funds, we expect in vain the funding from China to come. Let us be clear that who gives money also asks something in return. Therefore a growth beyond 2% -3% for the construction sector cannot be estimated, especially because there are no new contracts concluded in the field", said Claudiu Georgescu, the president of APMCR. Furthermore, a collective of the association is working towards a correlation of the CAEN and TARIC codes which will be consistent with the product families established by the Annex RPC 305/2011, in order to estimate as accurately as possible the value of exports. "At the time being, the exports of construction materials stand roughly at 100 million EUR. The "star" product remains the timber, followed by the thermal insulating joinery. We remark that the major profile producers started to attend the most important trade fairs. At the edition of Batimat, which took place in autumn 2013, there were present with their own stands three manufacturing companies, namely: Arcon Sfântu Gheorghe, Optimedia Oradea and Qfort, from Pieleşti - Dolj", said Claudiu Georgescu.