SPS: Construction should focus primarily on infrastructure

Prague - According to the Association of Construction Entrepreneurs (SPS), Czech construction should focus primarily on infrastructure development in the next eight years so that the country moves closer to the level of the European Union. This was stated at today's press conference by SPS General Director Miloslav Mašek. The strategy for Czech construction until 2015 will be presented by the association on October 11.
The risks in the next eight years, according to the association, may include a decline in the Czech and European economies, a significant increase in energy prices, and a shortage of qualified workers.
“The main goal and priority of Czech construction should be infrastructure development to bring us closer to European standards,” said Mašek. He mentioned that the construction of infrastructure, such as roads and highways, is already supported by an increase in funds in the State Fund for Transportation Infrastructure. Next year, it is expected to manage up to 88 billion crowns thanks to inflows from European funds. “This provides good conditions for addressing the weak points in the economy,” added SPS President Václav Matyáš.
According to Mašek, the biggest risk for the development of Czech construction is, of course, a possible shortage of funds. However, the association believes such a scenario will not happen, nor will there be a significant decline in economic performance. Instead, a real threat is the shortage of qualified trained workers.
According to Mašek, around 3,300 apprentices will complete training in the main trades this year, down from 4,200 last year. By around 2015, it is expected that there will be a need for about 15,000 in the market, Matyáš stated. However, SPS representatives agree that the construction industry will likely have to get used to a persistent shortage of qualified labor.
Manufacturers of construction materials, according to SPS Vice President Rudolf Borýsek, also criticize the current environmental constraints imposed by emission limits, which, according to him, restrict production in the new member states. The limits were not created to support the environment but were set by older EU countries essentially to determine who can produce what within Europe, Borýsek stated.
The government also expressed support for infrastructure development in mid-September, approving a schedule for transportation infrastructure construction up to 2013 with a time reserve until 2016. The strategic plan includes a list of transportation projects, the cost of which is estimated to exceed 800 billion crowns.