Cienco4 Tower. Construction sector is also affected by COVID-19. — Photo tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn

HÀ NỘI — The increasing number of COVID-19 patients in Việt Nam has affected the economy, including the construction sector.

Lê Đức Thọ, deputy general director of Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No 4 (Cienco4) said like many other businesses in the country, Cienco4 was being affected by the pandemic.

The biggest issue for construction enterprises such as Cienco4 was access to construction materials, Thọ told Pháp Luật Việt Nam (Việt Nam Law) newspaper.

“Some items could be purchased in Việt Nam such as cement, sand and gravel, but many materials such as steel billets and other steel products must be imported from abroad,” he added.

He also said that the working pace of construction had begun to decrease at some construction sites.

"Despite this, we still mobilise the maximum number of workers to ensure progress," said Cienco4 leader.

"However, if we were seriously affected by COVID-19, we would analyse the objective and subjective causes and propose solutions," said Thọ.

Đỗ Hoài Đông, general director of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUD) under the Ministry of Construction, said that HUD's main business was real estate.

The pandemic affected the whole economy, so it had a negative impact on the real estate market and affected the production and business activities of the corporation, he told the newspaper.

However, this effect would be delayed and is dependent on the spread of the disease in the near future, he noted.

Due to the complex development of the disease, HUD last week issued a written request to its member units to review workloads to calculate solutions for its employees, allowing workers to work from home.

"Currently, the corporation is considering to fully evaluate the impact and influence to adjust the production and business plan this year to suit the general situation," Đông said. HUD would speak to member companies, and then propose solutions to relevant ministries and branches, even to the Government, he added. — VNS