At the dawn of a new year, the world looks very different from a year ago. Uncertainty and insecurity are primarily created by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and its many consequences. The energy crisis raises the price of electricity, and accelerating inflation eats away at people's purchasing power. Our immediate future is overshadowed by the threat of a recession and more and more families are worried about making ends meet.
The difficulty of the time is increased by the fact that new challenges fall on top, even though the old ones have not yet been solved. Curbing climate change and stopping nature loss require urgent action. The income and expenditure of the public finances must be brought into balance. Finland needs significantly more skilled labor.
With such uncertain signs, we are approaching spring and the parliamentary elections coming up at the beginning of April. The next parliament faces a huge challenge: the problems are challenging, and there is no easy way out. Society is facing many upheavals and the courage to reform must be found.
Although turning Finland's course towards a brighter future will be challenging, one should not throw the ax into the well. The course can be reversed. However, hard work and wise, far-reaching decisions must be made for change.
The construction industry's promises to help
The construction industry wants to be involved in the talks to build a better Finland. During the past year, together with our stakeholders, we have thoroughly analyzed our changing operating environment and renewed our strategy to respond to the challenges and opportunities at hand. Our vision is a sustainably growing and safe Finland, where the importance of quality living spaces and construction as creators of well-being is understood. The best possible end result is achieved together with business and industry.
At the same time, we have made our own parliamentary election goals, the construction industry's promises to Finland. We promise to take Finland towards a better place, but we need society's support for that: the commitment of decision-makers and concrete actions.
- WE PROMISE TO BUILD REASONABLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING - AS LONG AS SOCIETY DOESN'T PUT OBSTACLES INTO IT
- WE PROMISE TO BUILD A SAFER AND ACCESSIBLE FINLAND - AS LONG AS THE FINANCING IS OK
- WE PROMISE A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE - AS LONG AS THE POLICY IS SMART
In times of scarcity, the importance of bold decisions is emphasized
The upcoming election season is a challenge. The government's income and expenditure must be brought into balance and the indebtedness must be reduced. However, Finland will not get back on its feet by simply saving and cutting back. Future MPs must be ready to commit and invest in building a sustainably growing and safe Finland. The decision-makers must find ambition and a clear vision of how to create prosperity and growth in Finland. In the midst of the crisis that surrounds us, precisely by bringing forward the necessary and planned investments of the state and municipalities, e.g. with actions that improve energy efficiency, the economy can be stimulated into growth again. When investments are brought forward, the growth of the economy and tax revenues is also brought forward. Investments must therefore be seen as an investment in growth and a better future, not just as an expense item. Otherwise, the fear is that we will save ourselves from life.
Few industries have such a large impact on people's everyday lives – direct and indirect – as the construction industry. As its name suggests, the Construction Industry builds homes for people and roads leading to kindergartens and schools. The type and condition of our living environment directly affects our experience of our quality of life. The construction industry is also one of the significant employers in Finland. Half a million people, i.e. one in five of Finland's employed earns a living from construction or maintenance of the built environment. It means that in hundreds of thousands of families, the monthly income depends on whether they build in Finland or not.
The importance of construction is enormous from the point of view of the entire national economy and society. Construction investments account for 60 percent of all investments in Finland. Because of this, it must be ensured that funding is directed to projects that simultaneously maintain employment, improve Finland's competitiveness in the future and accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral society. In addition to its effect on employment, a properly chosen construction site, for example a new road investment, will stimulate other construction many times over. For every euro invested in construction, 34-46 percent goes into the state coffers as taxes and tax-related payments. Not to mention how the competitiveness of the whole of Finland improves when housing and infrastructure construction promotes the mobility of labor and freight. By streamlining and speeding up official processes, the measures would be made even more effective.
RT wants to make Finland an even better place to live and live. It is also our most important task: to build good things together. This has been our main idea when we have made our promises for the parliamentary elections. When the operating environment is unstable and always getting more challenging, we need even better decisions. The work begins now. This work is not done alone but together. We can only succeed with the good cooperation of society and builders.
For a country that is built well prospers.
Aleksi Randell
CEO
aleksi.randell@rt.fi + 358 9 129 9201Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries (CFCI)
Assistant: Lotta Räty
You can find more infra-themed blog posts From INFRA ry's own blog. The updating of INFRA's blog ended in the summer of 2024, after which the writings will only be published as part of Rakennusteollisuus RT's blog.
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