RT, INFRA and Rakennusliitto present the government's framework for additional funding for basic road maintenance and, in the longer term, increasing road investments to 1 percent of GDP.
According to a recent report by VTT, the amount of infrastructure maintenance has decreased in Finland. The level of 2002 has come down by more than 13 percent. At the same time, the purchasing power of the euro has decreased in the sector dependent on the rise in oil and energy prices.
"The direction of development is very worrying. At the same time as the structures deteriorate and require even more maintenance, the condition of the infrastructure is taken care of less and less every year", says Tarmo Pipatti, CEO of Rakennusteollisuus RT.
The Employers' Association RT, INFRA ry, which represents the infrastructure industry in RT, and Rakennusliitto ry, which represents the employees, together appeal to the government so that the development process is taken seriously and investment in infrastructure is finally stabilized at an adequate level.
"We propose that, in the future, one percent of the gross domestic product be used for the construction and maintenance of the road infrastructure in particular. With this contribution of around two billion, the cycle of deterioration can be stopped and the condition of Finland's infrastructure will return close to the level of competitor countries", INFRA ry CEO Paavo Syrjö promises.
15 jobs with a million euros
As a first aid, an investment of 200 million euros in road infrastructure is still needed during this government term. Half would go to the annual level increase in maintenance, half to the most important specific investments in terms of transportation in business life.
Infrastructure includes roads, streets and railways as well as water and energy supply networks. The investment of one million euros in the infrastructure sector will create up to 15 jobs for a year. The number is clearly higher than, for example, in the technology or forest industries.
"The infrastructure sector creates jobs flexibly and equally across Finland. According to studies, no less than every third euro invested in infrastructure returns to the cycle of the national economy to increase economic growth, so a lot of Finns can benefit from the money moving in this sector", says Matti Harjuniemi, chairman of Rakennusliitto.