TITLE:
Impact of Covid-19 on Construction Industry of Nepal
AUTHORS:
Surya Prasad Timilsina, Sateesh Kumar Ojha, Bharat Ram Dhungana
KEYWORDS:
Construction Industry, COVID-19, Professional Contractors
JOURNAL NAME:
Modern Economy,
Vol.12 No.8,
August
24,
2021
ABSTRACT: The paper aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the
construction industry of Nepal. This research is based on primary data, and the
nature of the data is qualitative. The sources of empirical data have been
collected with the help of unstructured interviews with nine professional
contractors who have been directly involved in the construction sectors for a
long time. This study used a thematic analysis to examine the responses
provided by participants in the research field. The major three themes and 12
sub-themes were generated from the study to find the impact of COVID-19 on the
construction industry in Nepal. The study finds the three-level of impacts—financial,
operational, and institutional on construction sectors. The government budget
reduction, the deteriorating financial situation of the contractors, late
payment, and over cost runs of the projects are the financial impact. Likewise,
the operational level impact is related to delay in project completion, supply
chain problems, difficulty in workforce management, and maintaining the health
and safety of the workforce. The study finds no adequate support and special
packages from the government, including professional associations. The
government and regulatory authority should support the construction industry to
build efficient, competent, and resourceful sectors. Once the issues and
expectations of constructional professionals are addressed, that ultimately
helps to enhance the construction industry’s performance. Finally, the
construction professionals, the industry, and the government will be benefited.