“Last year brought a slowdown in constructions, the market continued to decline. Business legislation is lacking in many aspects and instead of relaunching housing construction, it’s becoming more and more restrictive,” Niculae Dusu, president of PRO BCA, the employers’ organization of ACC producers, said Friday.
A raise in fuel excises of EUR0.07 per liter, effective since April 1, will have a negative effect on the construction materials market by raising transport prices and ultimately shelf prices, the organization said, adding costlier transport will discourage the expansion of distribution areas, leading to higher imports of construction materials.
On the other hand, a tax on special constructions, effective since the beginning of the year, is described as a “deeply irresponsible” measure, with dramatic effects on the economy.
The organization also criticized the support granted for costly building solutions, such as the thermal insulation of new constructions, instead of implementing programs to encourage energy efficient and inexpensive construction. PRO BCA also listed over-taxation of labor, repeated changes in legislation among its complaints.
The organization proposed authorities should extend the liberalization calendar of the natural gas market until end-2016 and should agree on a maximum price for domestically produced gas. It also called for the elimination of cogeneration tariffs from electricity bills and the establishment of a state aid scheme reducing payment obligations on green certificates for large electricity consumers.
PRO BCA consists of Celco, Macon, Elpreco, Xella Ro, Somaco Grup Prefabricate, Soceram and Alba Aluminiu. The seven companies had an estimated turnover of more than EUR125 million in the 14 production units they own and produced 1.3 million cubic meters of ACC.