A talk on the prevention of covid-19 infection at the beginning of the working day and the rule of not sharing tools among workers are part of the protocols that companies must comply with in order to operate.
Because of the covid-19 outbreak in the country, the construction industry will have to apply safety and hygiene controls in the coming months. Following these requirements, the Guatemalan Chamber of Industry (CIG) and the Guatemalan Chamber of Construction (CGC) have developed protocols for the operation of the sector.
In the country's metropolitan area, nearly 16,000 homes are being built, most of which are apartments and will be available in the coming months.
The good numbers for the construction sector in the country will continue in the coming months, since currently 112 real estate projects are being developed in the department of Guatemala, which will increase the housing supply in the next three years.
In Guatemala, a guide is proposed to establish best practices in occupational safety and health for companies in the construction sector.
The Guatemalan Ministry of Labor and Social Security (Mintrab) and the Guatemalan Chamber of Construction (CGC), agreed to work together to exchange knowledge and experiences to strengthen standards in legislation, promotion of formality, labor inclusion, as well as the issue of Occupational Health and Safety, reported the Guatemalan government.
The need to live in areas close to workplaces and study centers, partly explains the upward trend that has reported in recent years’ vertical construction in the Guatemalan capital.
Data from the Municipality of Guatemala detail that between 2017 and 2018, the number of square meters authorized in vertical construction projects increased by 41%, going from 2.69 million to 3.8 million.
In 2018, the construction sector in Guatemala registered a nearly 4% growth, which reinforces the upward trend that has been reported since 2011.
Data from the Guatemalan Chamber of Construction (CGC) detail that from 2011 the sector has reported growth rates, reaching its highest level in 2014 when the recorded increase was 4.4%.
The Guatemalan government expects that in the first two months of 2019, all procedures related to the issuance of construction permits can be carried out online.
Representatives of the Ministry of Economy (Mineco), reported that the plan is that through the Ventanilla Única de la Construcción, construction companies can process licenses digitally.
Because licensing is proceeding faster, private projects are rebounding in Guatemala and the sector in general expects to close 2018 with a 3% increase.
Representatives of the Guatemalan Chamber of Construction (CGC), explained that the positive behavior of the sector this year is because of the liberalization of licenses for the construction of projects that were pending to be authorized and new investments made.
According to representatives from the union, 2016 was the first year in which more apartments were built than houses in Guatemala City, and in 2017 the trend continued.
Construction entrepreneurs confirm that growth in the sector over the last two years is mainly explained by the execution of vertical housing projects, which have mostly been built in Guatemala City.
A bureaucracy that keeps delaying delivery of construction licenses, is now joined by a possible cement tax proposed by the government.
Entrepreneurs in the sector anticipate a relatively poor performance for the sector in the remainder of the year, although no significant increases are expected in the prices of materials in general.The possibility that the proposal to levy $0.65 per sack of cement actually materializes comes on top of problems faced in obtaining building permits, which has forced some projects to grind to a halt.
Employers are demanding a one-stop shop service for issuing building permits, in order to avoid the ordeal of visiting 18 state institutions, and also the streamlining of tax collection.
Guatemala ranks 106 in the world in terms of ease of obtaining building permits, according to the World Bank.
One million square meters are awaiting construction permits in a country where 13 institutions have to be visited in order to collect a license.
For the Municipality of Guatemala to give out a building permit, the applicant must obtain approval from the Ministries of Environment, Culture and Sports, the General Property Registry, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the National Forestry Institute, the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction, the Office for Territorial Control and the district capital departments of Works, Historic Center, Environment and Land and from the Empagua.
The union expects year-end residential construction will grow by 3.5%, below the 3.8% projected by the Bank of Guatemala.
The residential construction sector remains low but with stable growth, driven by the construction of high rise housing in urban areas, particularly in urban areas, a zone that professionals and young families belonging to medium-high socioeconomic level favor because it is closer to the city.
The sector grew by 5.8% in the first half of the year, it has seen eight consecutive semesters with positive growth rates.
Business people in the sector believe that the political crisis did not have any negative effects on the sector, which managed to register growth of 5.8% in the first half of the year. The same view is taken of the tax on cement that was declared unconstitutional in August but was charged up until July.
From September 29th to October 1st, entrepreneurs will be gathering together in Guatemala City to take part in business conferences and address issues such as use of technology and construction practices.
The event is being organized by the Guatemalan Chamber of Construction (CGC) and the Guatemala Green Building Council (GGBC).
The private sector claims that excessive paperwork and the lack of technical personnel in the Ministry of Environment is delaying the assessment of environmental impact studies and the granting of building permits.
According to the Guatemalan Chamber of Construction, the slowness with which the studies are evaluated and permits granted to construction companies is preventing projects being carried out in the medium-term and moving towards recovery of the sector.
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