The construction sector forecasts that in 2021 investments will increase by 2.1% with respect to what was reported in 2020, a rise that would be explained by the execution of public infrastructure projects.
According to the Economic Report prepared by the Costa Rican Chamber of Construction, the growth of the construction activity will be boosted in 2021 by the recovery of public works.
A drastic fall in productive activity, outflows of investments and the disappearance of thousands of formal jobs are some of the consequences a year after the political and economic crisis in Nicaragua.
In March 2018, CentralAmericaData reported the figures that reflected the economic boom that Nicaragua was experiencing: formal employment grew at a year-on-year rate of close to 3%, economic activity each month recorded year-on-year growth rates of between 4% and 5%, while consumption and imports increased. Only a month later, on Friday, April 19, a series of events occurred that determined a radical change in the trend observed until then. The announcement of the reform of the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute triggered a social, political and economic crisis that the country is suffering so far.
When looking at economic activity, the performance of services, manufacturing, and, to a lesser extent, of agricultural and livestock industries stand out the most.
From a statement issued by the Central Bank of Costa Rica:
In the first quarter of the current year, the average of the trend cycle of the monthly economic activity index (IMAE) grew by 3.8%, 0.8 percentage points (pp) lower than in the same period in 2016.On the other hand, the interannual rate of the cycle trend was 3.6% (4.9% -Mar 2016). [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graphics"]
47% of the economic activities in the group have tended to reduce their rate of growth not only in inter annual terms, but also in term of growth in 2016.
From a statement issued by the Central Bank of Costa Rica:
The first two months of this year, the cumulative rate of the trend cycle of the monthly index of economic activity (MIEA)achieved growth of 4.2%; down by 0.8 percentage points (pp) over the same period in 2016. For its part; the year on year rate reached 3.9% (5.4% FEB 2016), a rate which has decelerated from December.[GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graphics"]
The union of builders is opposed to the decision taken by the Mayor of Panama, which would represent an "increase in rates of up to 328%, depending on the cost of the building permit."
From a statement issued by the Panamanian Chamber of Construction:
A warning was given by the Panamanian Chamber of Construction (CAPAC) to the City Mayor, Jose Blandon, stating that "strong action" will be taken if he signs and promulgates the new agreement to increase the municipal tax rate,
Unions and employers are negotiating an adjustment in salaries and a revision in the prices of the different types of jobs performed by workers.
Businesses are demanding adjustments are accompanied by higher labor productivity and are concerned about the growing number of construction companies that are moving into informality, however, they are confident that the agreements will be made as expeditiously as in the past three.
Prices for cement, plastic pipes and stone reported the largest increase.
From a statement issued by the Comptroller General of the Republic of Panama:
Retail Prices Indices of the Main Construction Materials (IPMC), available in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, compiled until January 2014, showed the following behaviors:
Price Indexes of Major Retail Construction Materials in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, up to September, 2013.
A statement from the Comptroller General of the Republic of Panama:
The Price Index of Major Retail Construction Materials (PIMC), available in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, compiled as of September 2013, showed the following behaviors:
Price Indexes of Major Retail Construction Materials in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, up to July 2013.
A statement from the Comptroller General of the Republic of Panama reads:
The Price Index of Major Retail Building Materials (IPMC), available in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, compiled up to July 2013, showed the following behaviors:
Price Indexes of Major Retail Construction Materials in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, up to July 2013.
A statement from the Comptroller General of the Republic of Panama reads:
The Price Index of Major Retail Building Materials (IPMC), available in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, compiled up to July 2013, showed the following behaviors:
During the first quarter of the year the value of buildings, additions and repairs totaled $119 million, compared to $98 million last March.
Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census of the Comptroller General of the Republic reveals that in April, $82.5 million corresponded to residential projects, while $36 million was for commercial construction, and that 951 projects were developed with a total of 320,499 meters square .
Retail prices indices for the main construction materials in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, up to March 2013.
A statement by the Comptroller General of the Republic of Panama reads:
Indices of Retail Prices of Major Construction Materials (IPMC by its initials in Spanish) in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, compiled March 2013, showed the following behaviors:
Indices have been released showing the retail prices of the main construction materials in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, up to March 2013.
A statement by the Comptroller General of the Republic of Panama reads:
Indices of Retail Prices of Major Construction Materials (IPMC by its initials in Spanish) in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, compiled March 2013, showed the following behaviors:
In January 2013 the Monthly Indicator of Economic Activity recorded a variation of 3.3%, whereas last year it was 7.2%.
Monthly Indicator of Economic Activity (MIEA) published by the Central Bank of Costa Rica:
The country's economic activity, as measured by the cycle of the Monthly Indicator of Economic Activity (MIEA), showed a variation of 3.3% in January 2013, lower than a year earlier when production grew by 7.2% .