El Universal reported that the construction sector in Venezuela dropped 6.5% in the first half of 2010, pushed down by a decline in housing starts.

According to data related to the public and private sectors, in the first half of 2010, a total of 26,000 housing units were completed as compared to 47,000 units in the same period in 2009. This represents a 45% downturn.

The decline came amidst a shortage of inputs, delays in payments to contractors, the crisis of the electricity sector and the prohibition to charge the Consumer Price Index in presale contracts.

(Sourced from www.eluniversal.com)