Activation of manufacturing and construction, pending security protocols

Although there is the endorsement of the president, they can only return to work when they meet the requirement. Construction, for example, calculates that it would be at least two weeks.

By presidential mandate, the economic revival of the building and nine divisions of the manufacture, which will add to the 36 that have functioned in quarantine. The expectation then is that 210,000 factory workers, 9,400 from public construction works and 175,000 from private ones could go out to work in the capital, for a total of 394,400 people.

Although this strategy meant differences between Claudia lopez and the president Iván Duque, because for the mayor, the reactivation of manufacturing had to wait a few more weeks, ensuring that until last Friday there was no clear biosafety protocol, the response of the Minister of Commerce, José Manuel RestrepoIt was clear: to operate, companies will have to have a guarantee in this matter; not before.

For this reason, although there is a green light from the Casa de Nariño, it is clear that for now the avalanche of workers that some imagined will not be seen. According to information from organizations such as ANDI, Camacol and the Institute of Urban Development (IDU)The full reactivation of these sectors in the capital will take a bit, since they must first present their protocols (based on government guidelines) and wait for their approval.

The director of the IDU, Diego Sánchez, said that today the 32 construction projects could not be reactivated, which were suspended on March 25 after preventive isolation. He assures that almost all contractors must take their time to present the measures that will protect the health of their employees, which must include the provision of masks, antibacterial gel and sinks, among others. “It is not about letting people go to the works without having an organization. At the latest in two weeks, almost all of them will be ready and working ”, he calculates.

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Only this Monday, in Bogotá, at least 20,000 manufacturing companies and 10,000 construction companies registered to process the permit. The viewer He learned that part of these protocols includes a mobilization program presented by the companies. This, given the premise that Transmilenio must not exceed 35% of its occupation, which means that there are companies hiring road services and financing bicycles for their employees. The regional manager of Camacol Bogotá-Cundinamarca, Alejandro Callejas, for example, foresees that only 45% of the 175,000 workers (who will work in the 641 private works that the capital has) will be mobilized in Transmilenio and SITP; the rest will do it in alternative means.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism estimates that some 50,000 employees from the nine manufacturing subsectors will be mobilized on public transport; without distinguishing between Transmilenio and SITP. On the morning of the first day of the reactivation, Transmilenio transported 15,654 more people than the immediately previous Monday, which meant a 9% rise.

To provide alternatives, Claudia López said that she is willing to develop from the District an application that allows taxi drivers to mobilize more than one client under the modality of “shared vehicle” This medium also learned that one of the technological platforms of private passenger transport service will propose to the District to operate under this same modality. Eventually so could skateboard and electric bike rental companies.

According to the district secretary for Economic Development, Carolina Durán, it is important that the curve for COVID-19 be flattened, but also that of the economy. Keep in mind that the contribution of construction and manufacturing to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the capital was 4.6% and 8.5%, respectively, in 2019. However, there would be a third sector that would be reactivated in Bogotá and is related to that of the bicycle industry. This, in consequence of the District’s interest in discouraging the use of TransmilenioTherefore, companies and workers will be required to supply these vehicles, spare parts and repair.

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The Development Secretary prepares some lines of credit for them, relying on fintech, in order for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs to finance their businesses. As additional information, many of these efforts may be concentrated in the center and north of the city, since that is where, according to District maps, many construction and manufacturing workplaces coincide.

But how do you prevent bottlenecks from forming at peak times? And, with more people on the street, how will the Police control those who still have to remain in quarantine? These are some of the challenges that arise from this new panorama. Then, given that this population will face possible exposure to the virus, the Mayor’s challenge will be to mitigate its contagion as much as possible and to flatten the propagation curve of COVID-19, but also to slow down the fall in the economy. Of course, what is clear is that if there is a rebound in the spread of the virus, all will return to general isolation.