Business

The Housing Prices continue to decrease but in a smaller pace. Housing prices in Catalonia have dropped by 2.3% compared to last year. In the Spanish state, a drop of 3.6% was recorded.

Catalonia will be the first European region to implement the Small Business Act 2010-2013, a common strategy to strengthen small and medium-sized companies. These businesses are at the core of the European economy and therefore are a key asset

Corporatejets currently operates charter flights at 3,300 euros an hour, but it is looking to expand its market. The company hopes to begin transoceanic flights for local businesses and executives.

A study from Barcelona?s Chamber of Commerce has detected 11,000 companies that could export their products and services but have not done so yet. In addition, 8,000 companies already do it but are not in a consolidated position.

The Catalan GDP is expected to fall 0.3% in 2010 but grow 0.9% in 2011, according to a study from the savings bank Caixa de Catalunya, Tarragona i Manresa. Exportation, especially in the industry sector, will be the key factor behind the recovery.

The Catalan Government will invest 19 million and the Spanish Government 21 million in the renovation works of 10 cities in Catalonia.

It is the 6th month in a row that the sales of houses and flats have grown in Catalonia. 30% more flats have been sold in relation to last year, confirming the recovery of the market.

The plan started 2 years ago to foster quality employment. More than 160,000 people have benefited from the programme, although only 10,000 found a quality job.

The number of companies with losses in the Spanish state grew during the second year of the recession, according to the Spanish Business and Treasury Association (Asset).

The number of travellers at the Barcelona airport grew by 2.2% during the first semester of 2010, registering more than 13 million passengers despite the volcanic ash crisis.

The bureaucracy that comes with starting a company in Catalonia has been reduced from almost a month to just two days, according to the Minister for Innovation, Universities and Business.

The lack of public construction contracts will affect the building sector and make for an unlikely recovery in the industry, according to the Institute for Construction Technologies of Catalonia.

Three Catalan saving banks have merged into a single lender that will close up to 395 branches around Spain. The result of the merger is still without a name.

Catalonia is the territory with the largest consumption of gas within the Spanish state, with 19% of the total

The two largest Abertis shareholders study the possibility of a leveraged buy-out through the investing firm CVC. The operation is worthy 25 billion euros, according to the Financial Times. La Caixa and ACS own 55% of Abertis.