Construction sector set to take $10 billion hit this year
Two-month circuit breaker, with some 180,000 workers put on stay-home notice, took its toll
The construction sector is poised to take a $10 billion hit this year, with demand dropping and projects getting pushed back in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two-month long circuit breaker period when building work ground to a halt, with some 180,000 foreign construction workers put on stay-home notice, left its mark on the industry.
The projected construction demand for this year has been revised to between $18 billion and $23 billion following a mid-year review, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said yesterday.
This is sharply down from BCA's January forecast of $28 billion to $33 billion for the year.
The revision is largely due to a drop in private-sector contracts, which are expected to total $7 billion to $9 billion this year. Last year, they were worth $14.5 billion.
Some public-sector projects this year have also been postponed to next year as contractors and suppliers have asked for more time to assess the impact of Covid-19 on resource management and project implementation timelines, said BCA.
This year's forecast for public-sector contracts is $11 billion to $14 billion - down from $19 billion last year.
Construction on projects such as Changi Airport's Terminal 5 has been halted.
The construction sector has been one of the hardest-hit amid the fallout from the pandemic, contracting 97.1 per cent from the first to the second quarter.
It also saw one of the largest declines in employment - by 13,600 workers - second to only the food and beverage services sector.
BCA, however, said construction demand is expected to recover to some extent from next year.
Public residential developments and upgrading works, developments in the Jurong Lake District, construction of new healthcare facilities and various infrastructure projects such as the construction of the Cross Island MRT line will support demand.
BCA noted that it is important the construction industry remains vigilant to prevent a resurgence of Covid-19 cases, which could bring the sector to a halt again.
MINISTER'S FACEBOOK POST
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said in a Facebook post yesterday that the construction industry has realised the need to build up capability for sustainable business development.
He noted that a new planning and coordination regime for business continuity, and the role of technology and digitalisation to build up industry resilience in the long run were some issues raised by participants at a leadership webinar co-organised by BCA and the Construction Industry Joint Committee on Wednesday.
"In spite of the restart, the industry still faces challenges," he said.
"The silver lining is that we expect demand to pick up to some extent next year, and there will be a pipeline of public-sector projects coming on stream next year."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
