Image: VOLKER WEIHBOLD
Together with Josef Muchitsch, chairman of the Bau-Holz union, Mahrer called on the government to introduce a package of measures to stimulate the construction industry again. Both emphasized that there are 310,000 employees.
- More on this: 30 percent fewer apartments will be completed in Upper Austria this year (OÖNplus)
Construction costs rose by up to 35 percent
From 2020 to 2023, construction costs rose by 25 to 35 percent, explained Mahrer. The WKÖ president predicted that the completion rate will decline by around 25 percent from 2022 to 2026 under the current conditions. Significant changes are needed in three areas. This includes, on the one hand, the expansion of housing subsidies, tax measures and, thirdly, easier financing.
- Also read: Roads and budget holes: What housing subsidies have to be used for (OÖNplus)
Muchitsch for expanding housing subsidies
When it comes to housing subsidies, the first four walls of your own – i.e. an apartment or a house – could be subsidized accordingly, said Mahrer. Muchitsch also spoke out in favor of expanding funding: It is not enough if housing construction costs could be deducted from taxes, said Muchitsch.
“The money is needed immediately, not a year later”. Apart from that, tax measures such as tax allowances or more favorable depreciation periods are an essential part of the package that can be used to stimulate the domestic construction industry. But the two of them, together with Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce Karlheinz Kopf, also see a need for action when it comes to financing real estate. The social partners agree that the KIM regulation, which restricts lending for the purchase of real estate, must be relaxed.
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