Blueprint to transform the construction industry by 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: The Construction Industry Transformation Plan (CITP), which aims to create industry players that can compete in the international arena while being sustainable at home, was launched yesterday by prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

CITP is part of the 11th Malaysia Plan and was formulated by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and the Ministry of Works to help transform the construction industry by the year 2020. It is a comprehensive plan that encompasses four strategic thrusts — quality, safety and professionalism (QSP), environmental sustainability, productivity and internationalisation.

“Each of the four strategic thrusts seeks to transform and improve the public and international image of the industry,” said Najib at the opening ceremony of International Construction Week (ICW) 2015.

Held from Sept 7 to 11 at Putra World Trade Centre, ICW is an annual event organised by CIDB, and supported by the Ministry of Works.

The enhancement of QSP will be a prerequisite for a responsible and developed industry, Najib said.

The CITP will push for the adoption of the Quality Assessment System in Construction (Qlassic) to measure the quality of workmanship in building construction.

“The CITP targets to make Qlassic a mandatory element in all government projects by 2018,” he added.

The CITP will also regulate the minimum level of construction workers’ amenities.

A Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Construction will be set up to develop, promote and implement sustainable construction systems and practices.

“The goal is to transform the infrastructure projects in Malaysia towards economic, social and environmental sustainability,” Najib said.

For productivity, the CITP will focus on three key drivers, namely workforce, technology and process.

The CITP will work to enhance human capital development so that dependency on foreign labour can be done away with, while it collaborates with the governing body and industry players to create a highly-qualified workforce.

Technology and process, meanwhile, will encourage the faster adoption of industrialised building systems (IBS), by recommending easier and simpler procurement processes.

Meanwhile, the construction industry is expected to maintain a double-digit growth this year and has surpassed the performance of other economic sectors in the country, said Najib.

“In 2012, at the height of the 10th Malaysia Plan, the construction industry achieved its peak growth of 18.1% and from then on, the industry had maintained its double digit growth at 10.8% in 2013 and 11.8% in 2014,” added Najib.

This article first appeared in Property+, a section of the digitaledge DAILY, on Sept 11, 2015. Download your personal copy of Property+ for free here.