The window for people to legalize informal buildings has finally been shut: Some 2.9 mn requests were submitted to settle building code violations between July and March, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said yesterday, a few days after the 31 March deadline for settling with the government elapsed. This is slightly short of the 3.16 mn buildings that are known to have violated the code. Those who failed to legalize their properties are now at risk of having them demolished.

Background: A crackdown on wildcat building launched by the government in July last year has forced people who have violated the building code to pay so-called “reconciliation” fees to legalize their properties. The end-of-March deadline was the fifth extension granted for property owners, since originally setting an end-of-August due date.