Llewellyn Lewis, the principal consultant at the BMI building research strategy consulting unit, said the worst of the recession was behind the building and construction industry and it could look forward to slow and steady growth across all sectors later this year.

According to Business Report, Lewis based his forecast on an analysis of trends and developments in the industry. However, building and construction industry organisations do not fully agree.

Neville Gurry, the executive director of the SA Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors, (SAFCEC) confirmed that activity levels in the building industry had picked up slightly, but emphasised this had not happened in the civil construction industry.

The organs of state had money available, Gurry said, but it was not getting through their systems to provide work for contractors. He warned that the big contractors were moving outside the country to find work, which was worrying because they did not use local labour, Business Report says.

Source: bizcommunity