At the construction conference in Lozère, hope despite the uncertainties weighing on the morale of companies

La FFB-TP 48 a organisé les deuxièmes assises de la construction, à Mende. Midi Libre – STEPHANIE BOULOIR

La Fédération française du bâtiment – travaux publics de Lozère (FFB-TP 48) a organisé les deuxièmes assises de la construction, dans ses locaux, à Mende, ce vendredi 6 décembre 2024.

The French Federation of Building and Public Works of Lozère (FFB-TP 48) organized the second construction conference in Mende this Friday, December 6, 2024. Professionals, government departments, the Bank of France and elected officials were all present. It was an opportunity to take stock of the situation and raise the issues or concerns encountered by companies.

“The pavilion goes from 110 to 90 m2”

First observation: “it's not going too badly“, says Sébastien Mourgues, the president of the FFB-TP 48. However, he highlights recruitment difficulties, particularly in the second work, and “a change in the way of consuming the home: we reduce the land, and the pavilion from 110 m2 goes to 90 m2. We lose a room.” The cause is difficult access to credit and rising construction costs due to inflation. However, the people of Lozère are still very attached to property, and houses remain sought after.

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On the public works side, orders are holding up, largely thanks to local authorities. For some companies, public orders represent 90% of turnover. “Public action has a shock absorber effect in Lozère”, underlines Marc Chevrier, for the DDT (Departmental Directorate of Labor). Seeing it fall would weaken certain models.

Late payments

Some contractors denounce excessively long payment periods from local authorities. Noé Laurençot, general secretary of the FFB-TP 48, notes payment delays of 100 to 300 days in certain municipalities, “small towns that have staffing problems. But 100 days late, when you have paid salaries, supplies, all that, at the bank charges rate, it has an enormous cost and weakens businesses“.

In response, Christine Hugon, departmental councillor and mayor of Saint-Chély-d’Apcher, reiterated that the departmental council’s investment was maintained and appreciated”: “Our businesses are responding as best they can.” Emphasizing: “We sometimes have trouble finding companies for public orders.”

The director of the Banque de France in Lozère, Fabrice Bugnon-Murys, took stock of the situation in the sector. “The morale of business leaders is rather low, because there is uncertainty and hazards. But overall, the captain remains standing with a positive vision of the future.”

The support of the prefect

The political situation of course generates some of these uncertainties. To see things more clearly, we will have to wait for the new government to get going. “There are points on which we can act at the local level, and others that we can bring up“, promised the prefect Gilles Quénéhervé, proposing to meet again with the players in the sector at the beginning of the year to “discuss technical points“.

As for the economic situation, the director of the Banque de France reassured about the drop in inflation and interest rates. He explained that households and businesses had increased their savings rate: “When we are in uncertainty, we put aside. For tomorrow, it is a capacity to consume.”

A outlook that is therefore intended to be positive, while “credit distribution remains dynamic in Lozère“. And to predict: “Certain difficulties will persist in 2025. But the horizon will reverse.” Around the table, everyone wants to believe it.

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