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Why are there so many unfinished buildings in Africa?

economist.com

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Re: Why are there so many unfinished buildings in Africa?

#91

Post by oblio »

phire wrote: post #24
neaanopri wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen and heard of this in Mexico and Latin America as well. A lot of US housing styles, such as saltbox and narrow townhouses, are also attempts to game older versions of the tax code

Yeah, it was common when I visited Peru 20 years ago. The tax code wasn't only reason for unfinished buildings. In poorer communities, which couldn't get access to loans, it was common to just buy supplies and do construction bit by bit as funds and time were available. Homes might start off with as little as bamboo poles in corners and PVC sheets tied between them. I swear I saw some that didn't even have roofs. Whe…

This is common across the developing world.

Not a lot of people out of our close to 8 billion can afford such a huge expense in one go.

Re: Why are there so many unfinished buildings in Africa?

#93

Post by LatteLazy »

veddox wrote: post #87
LatteLazy wrote: post #74

There are so many cultural and social norms that make business in the west easier and faster and more reliable. And they're basically invisible until you work somewhere else and have yo get something done.

The reasons for this are complex, but in a word: yes.

Yeah. I should have been clearer above. I'm not saying it's bad or wrong or something. That's just how life is different in different places.

Re: Why are there so many unfinished buildings in Africa?

#94

Post by ArnoVW »

gpvos wrote: post #2

A few years ago I read an article that argued that one of the best ways to help many African countries would be to send accountants and help set up a cadastre.

This was a theory of Hernando De Soto in the 90's. He produced quite a bit of research / statistics on the subject, doing surveys over 100 countries. If you want to read about him, there is this article [1]

I remember watching a documentary where they reproduced his experiment. Essentially, send a team of students in each country on a mission : create a company. I've done it in the UK, it's one day and 70 pounds. In the documentary they showed the complexities for just the administrative act of "creating a company" in (I believe) Argentina. It took them 3 months.

[1] https://www.investors.com/news/management/leaders-and-succes...

Re: Why are there so many unfinished buildings in Africa?

#95

Post by francisofascii »

Raed667 wrote: post #63

One common story I've seen repeatedly in Tunisia, involves poor planning and cost forecasting. Basically, a lot of people think that once the walls and roof are set they'd be 90% done. In reality, the "finishing" phase can cost the same as the "base" costs (Or more depending on what quality-standard you're aiming for).

Sounds similar to an typical software project.

Re: Why are there so many unfinished buildings in Africa?

#96

Post by periheli0n »

londons_explore wrote: post #73
periheli0n wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This would never be possible in the UK. Rainwater and sea spray would corrode any exposed rebar away within a few years. In fact, I wonder whether it is such a good idea to build on rebar that has been exposed to the environment for an extended period of time.

One could always paint the exposed rebar to protect it.

The point of sealant is that it won’t come off easily. But rebar with painted-on sealant is most likely less able to properly attach to concrete. Therefore, it might be difficult to use properly sealed rebar for further construction?

Re: Why are there so many unfinished buildings in Africa?

#97

Post by anovikov »

rudyfink wrote: post #6

I have no idea if it is true, but, in Egypt, my guide (who I will say was wonderfully knowledgeable on historic matters), stated that the reason many properties had rebar extending upwards (e.g., it looked like there were more stories to be added) was related to tax policy. I forget the full detail of her explanation, but there was some different kind of tax treatment if the building was "finished," so there were a n…

It is a tradition everywhere in the Middle East. Same here in Cyprus.

Re: Why are there so many unfinished buildings in Africa?

#98

Post by ben_w »

pengaru wrote: post #15
rudyfink wrote: post #6

I have no idea if it is true, but, in Egypt, my guide (who I will say was wonderfully knowledgeable on historic matters), stated that the reason many properties had rebar extending upwards (e.g., it looked like there were more stories to be added) was related to tax policy. I forget the full detail of her explanation, but there was some different kind of tax treatment if the building was "finished," so there were a n…

Saw lots of this in southern Italy / Calabria

Likewise in Larnaca, Cyprus when when I was there 16 months ago.

Re: Why are there so many unfinished buildings in Africa?

#100

Post by motohagiography »

rudyfink wrote: post #6

I have no idea if it is true, but, in Egypt, my guide (who I will say was wonderfully knowledgeable on historic matters), stated that the reason many properties had rebar extending upwards (e.g., it looked like there were more stories to be added) was related to tax policy. I forget the full detail of her explanation, but there was some different kind of tax treatment if the building was "finished," so there were a n…

Barbados as well, and a local said it was a mix of tax rules on buildings with roofs and a contract enforcement issue where it's an island community, so local builders have been known to demand a fee from foreigners to "finish" the property.

Seems around the world corruption has an architectural style. Related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window_tax

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