Training initiatives and capital projects in the Budget statement would be welcome news for the building industry, according to Construction Association of Bermuda president Charles Dunstan.

Mr Dunstan said he hoped to see Government continue to encourage developers to move forward with major plans such as hotels and casinos.

“It seems our wish list is much the same as last year — for the Government to develop incentives and remove impediments for developers,” Mr Dunstan said.

“In the past year we have seen some efforts in this regard, in the form of payroll tax relief for projects aimed at reviving our ailing tourism product, moving forward on the gaming initiative, and removing impediments for a land lease deal for the proposed Par-la-Ville Hotel, but these initiatives will take some time to bear fruit.

“In the meantime, we should focus our attention not on short term tweaking and tinkering, but on the longer term view for our industry, developing a real trades education initiative that will produce a next generation of truly qualified local tradesmen and remove our continued dependence on imported skilled tradesmen.”

Gross domestic product breakdowns show the construction industry suffered five consecutive years of declining output by the end of 2013, but it still provides about 7 per cent of the Island’s jobs.

Several large-scale projects have been announced which could help to support the industry in the next year, including the planned construction of a hotel on the former Club Med site — set to break ground in May — and redevelopment projects at Ariel Sands, Fairmont Hamilton Princess and Pink Beach.

Government has expressed hope that work on a $200 million aircraft terminal will begin before the end of the year.