Steep hike in prices of building materials prompts MBAM to call for immediate govt intervention

The Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) is urgently seeking the government’s immediate intervention to help the Malaysian construction industry cope with the impact arising from the steep increase in the prices of building materials. 

马来西亚建筑协会（MBAM）正在紧急寻求政府的立即干预，以帮助马来西亚建筑业应对建筑材料价格急剧上涨所带来的影响。

The association said much-needed assistance by the government would help contractors complete projects in a timely manner and avoid the termination or abandonment of projects. 

该协会表示，政府急需的援助将帮助承包商及时完成项目，避免项目终止或放弃。

It noted that some contractors have been considering halting the bidding for projects tendered by local authorities because the contracts shifted too much risk onto contractors already stretched by the lag in the price tendered and the actual current prices.

它指出，一些承包商一直在考虑停止对地方当局投标项目的投标，因为这些合同将太多风险转移到了已经因投标价格和实际当前价格滞后而捉襟见肘的承包商身上。

“This disparity between actual prices tendered and actual current prices needs to be corrected. They are inaccurate and do not reliably reflect market volatility,” MBAM said in a statement on 15th April. 

“实际投标价格与实际当前价格之间的这种差异需要纠正。它们不准确，不能可靠地反映市场波动，” 建筑协会 在4 月 15 日的一份声明中说。

Rising material prices sent skyward by the pandemic and the increasing material and energy costs are negatively impacting contractors handling both government and private projects, it noted. 

它指出，大流行导致材料价格飞涨，材料和能源成本增加，对处理政府和私人项目的承包商产生了负面影响。

Hence, MBAM has proposed that manufacturers and suppliers should lock in a price for all orders placed, otherwise it would defeat the purpose of the lock-in price for projects while additional new orders or new supplies should be negotiated at that price.

因此，建筑协会建议制造商和供应商应为所有下达订单锁定价格，否则将违背项目锁定价格的目的，而应以该价格协商额外的新订单或新供应。

“We also hope manufacturers of building materials could provide a detailed breakdown of raw materials cost, energy cost such as pegging the price of building materials with international prices and allow it to be up and down accordingly,” it said.

“我们也希望建筑材料制造商能够提供原材料成本、能源成本的详细明细，例如将建筑材料的价格与国际价格挂钩，并允许其相应地上下浮动，”它说。

MBAM also appealed to the government to temporarily exempt import duties of raw materials and also to provide subsidies or grants to manufacturers to mitigate the increase in production costs and is also seeking for the government to subsidise the rising cost of raw materials for prices to stabilise.

建筑协会还呼吁政府暂时免除原材料的进口关税，并向制造商提供补贴或补助金以减轻生产成本的增加，并寻求政府补贴上涨的原材料成本以稳定价格。

The association also urged a review of the variation of price (VOP) rate in government contract projects, adding that the VOP should be extended to 31st Dec, 2022, and beyond if necessary.

该协会还敦促审查政府合同项目的价格变动 (VOP) 率，并补充说，VOP 应延长至 2022 年 12 月 31 日，如有必要，应延长至 2022 年 12 月 31 日及以后。

MBAM also suggested that price increases should be staggered over a period of three to six months instead of a “sudden big increase in price in one go” as “this will not only prevent extreme price fluctuations but also help contractors to mitigate their cash flow and losses.” 

MBAM 还建议，价格上涨应该在三到六个月的时间内错开，而不是“一次突然大幅上涨价格”，因为“这不仅可以防止极端的价格波动，还可以帮助承包商减轻他们的现金流和损失。”