Brasília – The civil construction industry grew solidly in the first half this year, according to a survey disclosed this Friday (30th) by the National Confederation of Industries (CNI).
In the first six months this year, the activity level indicator (which ranges from 0 to 100) remained above 50 points, which indicates growth. In June, the activity level indicator reached 53.8 points, a little lower than in May, when the figure was 55.8 points.
In July, the level of activity is expected to reach 65.2 points. Although the result is positive, the index is slightly lower than those recorded in previous months.
According to the CNI’s research director, Renato da Fonseca, the strong industrial growth is linked to government incentives and rising demand. “The [government] incentives to the civil construction industry are long-term incentives, such as a housing program, the speeding up of some infrastructure works, and even the perspective of certain construction work starting. This is why the industry has maintained very strong growth,” he explained.
The number of admissions in the industry also remained strong. The indicator of growth in number of employed persons was 52.9 points.
The financial situation of civil construction companies remained stable in the second quarter, at 55.1 points – in the preceding quarter, the index was 55.5 points. The credit access indicator showed growth in the second quarter, at 51 points, as against 50.6 in the first quarter.
According to Fonseca, based on the survey’s figures, it may be said that access to credit is now easier to obtain for civil construction than for the processing industry.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
