The Ministry of Urban Development and Housing stated that most Government construction projects that were halted in the recent past due to the economic crisis have now resumed.
Several institutions, such as the State Engineering Corporation (SEC), the Urban Development Authority (UDA), and the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA), are carrying out construction projects for Government and semi-Government institutions, State-owned enterprises, and corporations. Most such projects were halted due to the serious economic crisis that emerged in the country.
Speaking to The Daily Morning, the Ministry’s Media Secretary Pradeep Kumara said that most halted projects have resumed at present, with the Government releasing sufficient funds. “The General Treasury owed a huge amount of money to institutions such as the SEC, the UDA, and the NHDA for construction projects they had completed. Such outstanding payments are now being made. Therefore, they have resumed the projects that were halted.”
He also said that the Ministry has implemented a number of programmes to uplift the private construction sector in addition to the normalisation of construction projects implemented through Government agencies. “The private construction sector also suffered a severe setback in the past. Therefore, the Ministry is currently taking all possible steps to uplift it. There may still be some deficiencies, but the Ministry is working to provide solutions to all issues gradually.”
Due to the serious shortage of United States dollar reserves in the country that prevailed in the country late last year (2022), many imports, including those of raw materials needed for the construction industry, had been hampered. The people were seen waiting in long queues near hardware shops to purchase cement and other such materials needed for construction. It was against such a backdrop that the National Construction Association claimed in March 2022, that more than 600,000 construction workers had lost their livelihoods due to the collapse of the construction industry.