For the businessman Eduardo Campiglia, decision times "are very long", "slow" and with the aggravation that "whatever you're going to do in our country generates a stream of opposition, whatever it is." To the Engineer Campiglia, "In Argentina, for better or worse, when things are decided, they go ahead with them; here, perhaps we err less, but we move very slowly."

With several investment projects in its roadmap, the company Campiglia Construcciones, in the coming months, will be inaugurating a social housing project comprising 30 units when at government level, still needs regulation of the law that President José Mujica promoted as the flagship of his government. Following is the interview of G&N with the Engineer Campiglia.

-With several real estate projects underway, both in Montevideo and the rest of the country, and the some more in the agenda for the coming months, how do you see the real estate sector?

-I like to talk about continuity in the implementation of our projects. I like talking about projects conceived as part of a long-term work plan. We must take into account that there are projects that are going to be built 17 years after the acquisition of the land. We study the situation well in advance. Each project we finished is the fulfillment of a stage within a long term work plan. Things happen slowly but they are being fulfilled. Currently, we are looking forward at the construction project of affordable housing for the middle and low income sector.

- How can the private developers of the construction sector collaborate with the social objectives set by the government?

-We had a meeting in the Construction Sector Private Developers Association (APPCU) as there is a strong interest in supporting this idea of ​​building social housing. In total, we are talking about 60,000 units. In Montevideo there are many vacant homes, but are not livable as they are in a sorry state. Recovering these homes is more expensive than building new. Recycling old houses is very expensive and sometimes it is not adequate to meet the purpose of social interest because higher values ​​are reached.

- Are you building any social housing projects at the moment?

-We have started a first project in the same plot where we have our headquarters, but facing Ciganda Street. Here we are starting a pilot project consisting of thirty units: 2 bedrooms with 55 square meters and 3 bedrooms of about 70 square meters. We have several projects of this kind, in Prado we have a plot with another 70 units projected of this type of housing.

- While at official level talks of an impending regulation of the Law for the Promotion of Social Housing, you are practically finishing the first social housing venture?

-That’s right. The works will be done later this year, but I do not know if we are in time to get the tax benefits under the legislation. It was said that the law would be implemented by December, January or February, then March ... now the regulation will be ready by April. For the execution of our project we did not even get a loan from Banco Hipotecario... At that time we did not get the loan, because they had granted the loan to Alpargatas. So at this moment we find that the Alpargatas project has not been finished while ours is ready.

-How would the public be able to buy into the Vilardebó housing project?

-I want the Ministry of Housing or the Bank to be involved in this, as then the tax benefits provided by law for the promotion of social housing would apply, but we have been waiting now for almost four months ... The houses will be finished and we’ll still be waiting on the law. That's the problem.

- What will be the value of the houses built by Campiglia for social housing?

-We are just finishing the numbers for this project, the 2 to 3 bedroom units will be around the USD 80,000 to USD 95,000 mark. The payment will be very reasonable first installment and the balance will be financed in small installments, similar to a lease, up to 25 years with a local bank.

- The decision times of the government, do they make you feel uneasy?

-What is important, at the level of government institutions is to respond quickly. It has happened to us that we have made proposals in the past, but ultimately the answers do take too long just to say if the idea does or does not work... The decision times are very long, things happen very slowly in Uruguay. In Argentina, for better or worse things are decided and they go ahead with them; here, perhaps we err less, but we move very slowly.

-In this area of Puerto del Buceo, which grew explosively with the help of private developers in construction area, if the projects were in the hands of the government we would still be debating the construction of the first tower.

-Take a look at the port of Montevideo... I graduated over 30 years ago and one of the first conferences I attended was one by the engineer Álvarez Massa, who spoke about the port project that already had like 40 or 50 years, which is the same new port project we are talking about today. This is the theme of Uruguay in the XXI Century. The things that are to be done nowadays on the port, which is a really beautiful port and with many possibilities, are more than 50 years old. We have been discussing whether or not to do them for 50 years. Things are slow in Uruguay. It was announced a new tower would be built at the Mercado Modelo, and already a sign of a neighborhood committee against the tower appeared. Anything that you're going to do in our country generates a stream of opposition, whatever it is. I see it even in the privately owned companies, we say we are willing to change, but it is not easy to change the mindset. The tendency to continue doing business as usual is real. Change usually comes from younger people, but Uruguay is a country of old people. The percentage of young people is very low, and the percentage of young people still in education, is also very low.