In the third quarter last year, the construction sector across ASEAN-6 countries mostly expanded, due to the restarting of public construction works, according to a statement released by the South East Asia Iron and Steel Institute (SEAISI).
Indonesia’s construction sector expanded by 3.8 percent in the third quarter, continuing the expansion of 4.4 percent in the second quarter, as the country did not close the sector, even during the pandemic.
In the given quarter, the Malaysian construction sector contracted by 20.6 percent, led by reduced activities in the civil engineering (-36.1%), residential (-27.3%) and non-residential (-13.3%) sub-sectors. The main reasons for the contraction are pandemic restrictions and labor shortage.
The Philippines’ construction sector expanded by 16.8 percent in the third quarter last year, supported by continuing growth of investments in the sector by 23.8 percent in the given period.
In Singapore, the construction sector grew by 66.0 percent in the third quarter, due to expansion in both public and private sectors. The strong growth was mainly due to the low base given the slow resumption of construction activities after pandemic restrictions in the same quarter of the previous year.
Thailand’s construction sector declined by 4.1 percent in the third quarter, compared to a growth of 3.9 percent in the second quarter, while in Vietnam the construction sector contracted by 11.4 percent in the given quarter, as coronavirus curbs disrupted construction projects.