Missing orders, problems with financing: the situation in the German construction industry is tense. Crafts President Dittrich warns that the industry is heading “at high speed” towards a wall. He calls on the federal government to take action.
The President of the Central Association of German Crafts (ZDH), Jörg Dittrich, has warned of a collapse in the construction industry. “We are driving towards a wall at high speed during construction, and the federal government simply cannot manage to put the brakes on,” Dittrich told “Bild am Sonntag”.
“The construction industry, with its 2.33 million employees, is a key industry for the skilled trades. And this sector is currently in danger of collapsing completely,” said Dittrich. Projects that were decided and financed several years ago are still being processed. However, construction financing for future projects has collapsed massively. “If politicians don’t take countermeasures, this will be reflected in the reduction of capacities,” continued Dittrich.
Funding programs are “drops in the ocean”
The federal government constantly talks about “deregulation” and “unchaining,” but in the end it doesn’t do anything. “The regulations are just as complicated, the funding programs that have been approved are a drop in the ocean,” says Dittrich. “If the state were serious about supporting the construction industry, it would, for example, support house builders through KfW loans with a guaranteed interest rate.”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Construction Minister Klara Geywitz (both SPD) have invited people to a housing summit in September. Dittrich calls for other ministers to take part in the round. In view of the “dramatic situation”, the trade president also expects the presence of Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), “so that the right decisions can be made immediately”.