Sandra Forero Ramírez, former president of Camacol, explained the situation of the construction union, in the forum ‘The State of the Nation, the Challenges of Colombia in Times of Change’, organized by EL TIEMPO, the Universidad del Rosario and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
«At this time there have been various falls in the sector, sales, initiations and launches, these three important elements. It is also seen that offices remain in the doldrums and in the case of commerce, industry and hotels, the topic is more linked to investment. What these figures show us is the need to collect a sector that moves 54 percent of the productive apparatus of the countryForero explained.
According to the former director of the Colombian Chamber of Construction (Camacol), there are currently more than 1,600,000 Colombians working in the sector.
«The good thing is that despite falling sales, seven out of ten are social interest homes, and there the learning of the last three decades is that social housing is the determining element for a sector that has a way to respond and close the gaps,» he said.
Although the costs for inputs, labor and machinery have been made, it must be taken into account that there are other factors such as the decrease in household resources.
«The environment is complex, and there are some adjustments that must be made in between to shield the economy. What can be done with employment must be taken into account. An adjustment in policy may not recognize these changes,» highlighted Forero
Sandra Forero, former executive president of Camacol and the National Trade Council (CGN).
Time / Courteous
It is no longer ‘My House Anymore’
Regarding the changes in policies, Forero said that there are three elements that must be taken into account. The first is that in the country «it is not being built from scratch, but with existing policies and baggage.»
«The first key point is that the regional coverage of housing programs and the policy in this regard must be expanded and that has been happening. We have subsidies in 350 municipalities, but we must reach more. It is also said that we must target them, but this does not mean that a program like ‘Mi Casa Ya’ is not targeted. A job that was done at the end of the last government was to measure the impact of public policies and that accelerated that’75 percent of Mi Casa Ya’ is disbursed in households of stratum 1 and 2. Yes, minors must be reached, but it is not that it does not start«, said.
Thirdly, housing must be viewed with a differential approach. «A program for urban housing is not the same in a country where 78 percent live on urban land and take the program, make some adjustments and transfer it to rural areas. What it does is weaken what works and the impact in rural areas will not be achieved, they are two different things.»
Forero emphasized that what has been done in rural areas must be strengthened, in the policies that are in place and that even the Government has already launched an improvement program, «but the rural scheme must be different. Because credit, capacity and households that already have confidence in the previous program are put at risk «.
The former business manager added, «for example, the My house since it is being considered now, it is no longer my house, because it does not work for rurality. Policy should also focus on category 4, 5 and 6 municipalities, but not neglect what happens in 1, 2 and 3, everyone has rights and conditions must also be given to builders to go and serve the population » .
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