After annual increases of about 10% in the prices of the costs for carrying out civil works until December 2022, the National Administrative Department of Statistics (Dane) revealed the figures to January, where a much greater escalation was evidenced than in any month evaluated by the statistical entity: 13.3%.
(Read: The era of construction slowdown begins: what to expect).
This annual figure was marked out mainly by the special teams for work that They already accumulate a rise of 24.5% in the first month of the year, followed by materials that increased 16.7%, labor that increased its price 9.61% and machinery that increased 8.27%. It is worth clarifying that no cost group presents negative variations.
Regarding materials, cement is one of the inputs that has risen the most in price and among all its categories registered an average increase of 22.4%Also supplies for pipes and sewage have risen 26.2%, concrete has increased in price 31.5%, steel pipes 34.5% and heavy equipment 35.3%.
At the monthly level, January reveals the highest rise in at least two years, even the figure with the highest rise registered on a monthly basis was in July 2022, the month in which the rise was 1.12%, in the first month of the 2023, the increase was 5%.
(In addition: Lag in the transfer of subsidies worries the construction sector of the country).
In this context, construction materials are the ones that reported the most significant rise with 5.9% and labor 6%. It is important to note that in just one month, concrete rose 19.9% in value and cement 12.5%. In labor, the prices that increased the most were those of the ‘helper’, which grew 11%.
Now, all these factors have affected above all the builders of highways, streets, railways and airstrips, bridges, elevated highways and tunnels that they have felt a rise of 5.25% per month and 13% per year.
After this group, mining and industrial plant construction companies have seen the effect of these increases on their finances by 5% in just the month of January and 12% annually.
Likewise, builders of long-distance gas pipelines, lines of communication and power cables; local pipes and cables, and related works received a 4.7% rise in their prices in the month of January and an annual level of 13.7%.
PAULA GALEANO BALAGUERA
Portfolio Journalist
