One square metre of land in the municipality of Chisinau costs about USD 152, the data of a recent analysis of the land market of the municipality show. The study was conducted by the Chisinau Municipal Council. Head of the specialised department Nicolae Craciun told the session of the City Hall on Monday, July 9 that the incomes collected by the city coffers due to real estate transactions are increasing by about 15% yearly. In 2006, the revenue of the local budget resulting from sales and rent of land stood at about MDL 60 mln, and in the last half of the year – 54 mln by now. Craciun says there are more and more applications for privatisation, but the demand for the lands destined for rent is decreasing. The decreasing number of applications for rent of land is probably due to the fact that at the moment the economic entities want to become landowners in order to justify their investment. The Land Department registers about 5 thousand applications yearly, makes 1.1 thousand decisions, concludes 600 contracts and has landed relations with about 2 thousand landowners. According to the data from the landed cadastre, as of July 1 the total area of the municipality of Chisinau, together with the suburban communes was 57.04 thousand hectares. Chisinau City owns 12.3 thousand hectares, of which agricultural land – about 703 hectares, lands for the protection of the nature and health – 152 hectares, reserve land – 259 hectares, lands for constructions, green spaces and public use lands – 8.3 thousand hectares. By type of property, there are about 2.5 thousand hectares of state public property in Chisinau, 8.4 hectares of municipal property and 1.3 thousand hectares – private lands. The municipal property is decreasing by 2% every year, due to the landed reforms taking place in Chisinau. Nicolae Craciun says that at present the Soros Foundation Moldova provides assistance to the City Hall in working out the Land Strategy of the municipality for the next years. At the same time, several land regulations are being worked out, including a new regulation on the administration of the land property of the municipality, a regulation on the organisation of land auctions and a regulation on the creation of the cadastre of green areas in the municipality.