PRIVATIZATION - The Prague Magistrate will offer for sale some of its 11,000 apartments, according to a Czech News Agency (ČTK) report. Prices for individual flats have yet to be determined, but they are expected to range from 22,000 to 25,000 Kč ($880–1,000) per square meter. According to Deputy Mayor Jan Burgermeister, the price of newer apartments will be set at a level that guarantees the city doesn't lose money in the sale.

EXPROPRIATION - A new law about the expropriation of private property should guarantee owners the right to fairer compensation as well as greater legal clout, according to a report in Hospodářské Noviny. The compensation would reflect the property price with regard to the intended land use as opposed to the existing land use. According to the proposed law, the property will only be able to be transferred once the compensation has been paid. In the event of a court appeal, the transfer would be inturrupted until the issue is resolved. At the same time, the law should make it easier for the state to gain private property that stands in the way of public projects such as highways.

LOANS - The Regional Development Ministry is preparing a new system of housing loans for young Czechs, according to a ČTK report. In addition to the already existing loans for the purpose of buying apartments, beginning in 2006, people who are 36 or younger could get loans for apartment reconstruction. The 10-year loan would be between 100,000 and 150,000 Kč. The existing loan, which can go up to 300,000 Kč, is intended for the purchase or construction of a house or an apartment. It must be paid back within 20 years, with an annual interest rate of 2 percent.

CONSTRUCTION - People intending to build a family house smaller than 150 square meters (1,615 square feet) and no more than three levels high will not need to obtain a building permit, according to a report in Hospodářské Noviny. A public announcement should suffice. Parliament approved the second reading of a proposal for the new construction law. The Cabinet hopes this simplification will encourage development in less-developed regions. The law should also speed up the building process. At the moment, the plannng stage, including obtaining building permits, often takes longer than the actual construction. The new law should take effect Jan. 1, 2007.