Singapore’s construction output for institutional development and major infrastructure projects will keep rising this year, according to the national Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

This prediction comes on the back of the sector’s strong performance in 2013, which saw demand reach a historical high of 35.8 billion SGD (28.6 billion USD).

Public sector projects will contribute 60 percent, or between 19-22 billion SGD, to the construction industry’s total demand in 2014, according to the BCA.

Meanwhile, private sector demand is expected to drop to around 12-16 billion SGD, lower than the 21 billion SGD recorded last year. The BCA forecast a fall in the sector’s demand because the property market has become more stable and the Government has decided to reduce land sales in the first half of the year.

Total construction output was estimated at 33 billion SGD for 2013, supported by stronger on-site activities from the construction of the Marina Coastal Expressway, two underground metro lines and both public and private residential developments.

Outlook for on-site construction activities in the following years remains bright at between 35-36 billion SGD for 2014, and 29-37 billion SGD annually for 2015 and 2016, given the high level of contracts signed since 2011.-VNA