All 3.16 mn building code violations across the country are on track to be settled with the government by the time the end-of-March deadline for settlements rolls around, Local Development Ministry spokesperson Khaled Kassem told the local press. Authorities have so far received 2.75 mn settlement requests worth some EGP 18 bn since the government launched its crackdown on illegal construction last year, and the ministry expects to receive another 410k settlement requests by the end of the month, Kassem said. House Local Administration Committee head Ahmed El Segeny had said earlier this week that 3 mn requests worth EGP 17 bn have been filed so far.

Background: A crackdown on wildcat building launched by the government last year is forcing people who have violated the building code to pay so-called “reconciliation” fees to legalize their properties. Owners in violation of the code have been given until the end of the month to settle with the state. The government separately ordered a six-month construction ban in late May, and extended the ban into 2021 as it works on new construction regulations that are expected to govern everything from building height, ratios, and usage to urban coordination and the hoops builders need to jump through before they can start construction.