“The construction sector is in ruins, more and more jobs have to be cut!” The Common Sense list addresses the topic of ‘jobs’ in the latter part of the election campaign. Drastic cuts in federal funding are feared. Moreover, the criticism focuses on the guidelines for awarding construction projects in the state.
There is a silence in the market. In Burgenland the order decline is already 8.5 percent. “Once the federal government cuts funding, the state will follow suit. “This has serious consequences for the labor market,” fear the top candidate on the Common Sense list, Géza Molnár, and his colleague Manfred Kölly. The latter comes from the business world.
Companies are not supported
He worked in construction and secondary trade for 50 years. “At the regular tables in our important business sector, the dissatisfaction with the current situation is unmistakable,” Kölly notes. In concrete terms, he focuses on the award criteria. “The state is building clinics and announcing one groundbreaking after another for local healthcare bases, but Burgenland companies are not involved in the projects,” Kölly criticizes.
Reference projects are important
According to the tender guidelines, only those who can demonstrate reference projects would be awarded the contract. “So only companies that are already involved in the construction of hospitals or make land available for projects benefit from this,” says Kölly, referring to two passages in the regulations. Sometimes a construction manager has to show projects with a value of at least five million euros, he adds.
“A good example is the new state fire headquarters; no company from Burgenland is among those who have benefited from this,” Kölly criticizes. The economy needs new impulses, according to the common sense list. The same applies to private housing. “Costs must be reduced and energy prices must be regulated fairly,” Molnár demands.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
