Importance of Construction Industry

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Importance of Construction Industry Construction is a key sector of the economy of every country1 . There are many reasons for the industry’s importance. First, the construction industry is important because of the outputs and outcomes of its activities. It contributes to national socio-economic development by providing the buildings which are used in the production of all goods in the economy. Moreover, the physical infrastructure, built through construction activity, is the nation’s economic backbone as it forms the arteries for the facilitation of productive activity by enabling goods and services to be distributed within and outside the country. The items built also offer social and welfare benefits. For example, housing fulfils one of the most basic needs of people by providing shelter from the physical elements. Built items also offer people the opportunity to improve their living standards. The quality of the design and construction of these facilities has an impact on the efficiency with which the productive activities and provision of services can be undertaken. Thus, the construction industry can influence the competitiveness of enterprises within the economy. Construction can also affect the ability of the nation to attract foreign investment. This is important in this era of globalisation as all nations are competing nations to position to attract foreign investment. Second, in every country, the construction industry constitutes a large part of the economy. Studies show that construction contributes between 5 and 10 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in all countries, employs up to 10 percent of the working population, and is responsible for about half of the gross fixed capital formation2 . It is estimated that investments in housing alone account for 2 to 8 percent of GNP; between 10 and 30

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