RAMALLAH, July 31, 2011 (WAFA) - The overall Construction Cost Index (CCI) increased by 0.87% in June 2011 compared to May, reaching 112.76 in the West Bank, according to a report by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) published Sunday.

PCBS said changes in CCI for June can be traced to the increase in the cost of major construction inputs, the largest of which is the increase in iron and steel cost by 4.67%.

The cost of cement products, cutting and shaping stones, quarries and quarrying products as well as ceramic tile and panels has also increased, while the cost of cement products, lime and gypsum decreased by 0.15%, said the report.

The report also featured the increase in the overall Road Cost Index (RCI) by $0.13 to reach 110.98 in the West Bank in June compared to May.

The report traced the changes in RCI in June to those in the cost of major road inputs. The cost of iron, steel, quarries and quarrying products increased, while the cost of asphalt, bitumen mixture and its products, cement and road paints increased.

The increase by 0.86% in the overall Water Networks Cost Index (WNCI) was also included in PCBS report. WNCI reached 107.11 in the West Bank in June compared to May.

The changes in WNCI for June are traced to the increase in cost of major water networks inputs, mainly an increase of 5.21% in the cost of iron and 2.3% in the cost of water reservoirs.

The cost of concrete, construction work and paint, excavation, water networks, plastic and steel pipes as well as asphalt, bitumen mixture and its products also increased, according to the report.

The overall Sewage Networks Cost Index (SNCI) reached 103.70 with an increase of 0.18% in the West Bank in June compared to May, said the PCBS report.

The report also traced the change in SNCI for June to that in the cost of major sewage networks inputs compared to the previous month. The cost of plastic, cement pipes and excavation increased, while the cost of fountains, asphalt, bitumen mixture and its products decreased.

It is worth mentioning that the difference in the percentage change of the cost index for the major groups of road, construction, water networks and sewage networks is due to the natural compositions of these major groups.

R.Q./F.J.