THE CRISIS HAS CRUSHED THE CONSTRUCTORS’ WILLINGNESS TO BUILD

37 percent fewer building permits for residential buildings and 26 percent fewer building permits for administrative buildings were issued in 2009.

Over 25 percent fewer building permits for residential buildings were issued in Bulgaria in 2009 and the number of apartments in them diminished with over 60 percent. This is evident in NSI’s data for the previous year. The situation is similar with the administrative buildings – the number of permits issued decreased with 26 percent and their floorage with more than 40 percent. 

The number of building permits dropped with 45 percent to 1 343 only within the first quarter of 2009. These buildings should host more than 3900 apartments with total floorage of over 513 000 square meters.  Permits were issued for 6428 residential buildings, numbering 20.2 000 apartments and total floorage of 27.7 million square meters. According to the NSI’s data of the last quarter the greatest number of documents for new buildings submitted is in the Region of Bourgas, 155, followed by the City of Sofia with 150 and Plovdiv with 143.

The number of building permits for administrative buildings, issued for the period October – December 2009, decreased with 37 percent to 63 only. The building-up area shrank with more than 73 percent to 28.9 square meters. The construction of over 305 administrative buildings with total floorage of 305.8 000 square meters was approved, or in other words 25.9 percent and 40.3 percent respectively lesser in comparison to last year.