Unacea says a new national economic stimulus package proposed by the Italian government should be approved by parliament immediately, after new figures revealed a 25% drop in Italian construction machine sales to 2,774 in the first six months of 2013, compared to the same six months of 2012. Speaking about the new package, which includes measures for both the construction and construction equipment industry,
Speaking about the new package, which includes measures for both the construction and construction equipment industry, Giampiero Biglia, vice president of Unacea, a trade association for Italian construction equipment firms, said, “In the past five years of recession the demand for construction equipment has been affected more than how can be justified by the drop in the construction market. The current uncertainty on an exit-strategy from the crisis seems to induce buyers to reduce to a minimum the procurement of new machines, delaying as much as they can their replacement. From this point of view, it is fundamental that the new legislative decree concerning the stimulus for the purchasing of new machinery becomes effective right away. And it is just as important that there will be awareness in the recognition of the capital goods admitted which have to include all type of construction equipment. Just this way the SMEs would benefit from the measure with favourable effects for all the chain.”
Within the overall H1 2013 Italian construction equipment sales figures, Unacea said that 2,671 earthmoving machines were sold in H1 2013 (-24% compared to H1 2012), along with 42 road machines (-42%) and 61 concrete machines (-38%).
