Thursday 9th June 2011 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Welsh Government must do the right thing for the economy and make construction a priority sector. Prior to the election, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Wales called for targeted support for the construction sector to help ensure economic renewal. Now Edwina Hart AM, the new Business Minister, has said the Government is ‘taking soundings’ about whether to add construction to the list of six priority sectors that are considered best placed to deliver economic growth.
Richard Jenkins, FMB Wales Director said:
“We are extremely pleased to hear the new Government are open to adding to the list of priority sectors in the economic renewal programme. The construction industry is at the very heart of what Wales hopes to achieve in the coming years including more homes, better schools and hospitals, and the transition to a low carbon economy. This is an industry that is vital to the overall competitiveness of the Welsh economy and is an important driver of growth for other sectors, which is why we were so disappointed it wasn’t included in the previous administration’s plan to get the Welsh economy back on track.”
Jenkins continued:
“Around 9,000 companies are tied to the construction industry in Wales, which employs around 8% of the total workforce. Investment in construction offers good value for money, but even more needs to be done to increase the value of construction spend. Developing procurement solutions that are innovative and fair to SMEs and focusing on ambitious low-carbon refurbishment programmes are just some of the ways the Government can help the construction industry deliver more jobs and growth. We hope the Business Minister will now respond to calls from the industry for formal recognition that it is well placed to lead a home-grown recovery.”
