Cyprus building permits slip again in April

The number of building permits authorised in Cyprus slipped again in April, having risen in February and March, according to the latest data from the Statistical Service.
The figures show that building permits authorised by the municipal authorities and the district administration offices in April 2009 reached 687, a fall of 5.1% compared with the 663 authorised in April 2008.
The total value of the permits in April fell by 15.5% over the year earlier to EUR 197.5 mln and the total area fell by 20.9% to 234,397 square metres. These building permits provide for the construction of 1,252 dwelling units, compared with 1,658 in the same month of 2009.
During the period January-April 2009, 2,867 building permits were issued, an increase of 2.8% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.
However, the total value of these permits decreased by 0.3% and the total area decreased by 8.6%.
Τhe number of dwelling units recorded a decrease of 4.3%.