The digitized Portal of the Cadastre and Surveying will also verify the data of owners

hodxa (1)

Prague - The Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre (ČÚZK) has launched a digitized Cadastre and Surveying Portal. It aims to allow individuals and companies to enter information, report changes to cadastre data, and reduce physical visits to the office. For instance, it will no longer be necessary to prove property ownership via the portal, as offices will have remote access to the cadastre and can verify the data. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) stated at a press conference introducing the digitized portal that this is a step forward in the modernization of Czech public administration. According to Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný (KDU-ČSL), the next step will be to increase the number of electronic registrations in the cadastre, motivated by the fact that the administrative fee will be 400 crowns cheaper compared to paper submissions.

On Friday, the testing phase of the portal, which lasted 30 days, was completed and now the portal, according to Fiala, operates without issues. He added that such a thing is not a given. Last September, Fiala dismissed the Minister for Regional Development and Deputy Prime Minister for Digitization Ivan Bartoš (Pirates) due to poorly functioning digitization of the building approval process. Ultimately, this led to the departure of the Pirates from the government.

"Thanks to the cadastre of real estate and surveying, people can manage their affairs from home, which will save them time and reduce unnecessary administrative burdens. They can electronically submit a complete application for registration, for example. This is another successful step in the digitization of state administration, which is a priority for our government," said Fiala.

ČÚZK has been working on digitization for a long time. For example, the first concept of digitizing the real estate cadastre was approved back in 1993. In 2003, an application for electronic viewing was launched, and in 2020, cadastre maps were digitized. Last year, the office introduced a system of digital technical maps. "Our goal is to continue developing digital services and ensure that citizens have as much comfort as possible when managing matters related to real estate," said ČÚZK Chairman Karel Štencel.

According to Výborný, digitization of the cadastre makes its use more efficient and saves money. "The next step will be to increase the number of fully electronic registrations in the cadastre. We want to motivate the public by offering them a 20 percent lower administrative fee for electronic deposits compared to paper submissions," he added. Thanks to electronic processing, according to him, cadastre offices have processed up to twice as many submissions, reduced the number of employees by a fifth, and saved 600 million crowns annually.

When buying or selling a property, it was necessary before digitization to obtain a verified owner's extract after a physical visit to the office. Similarly, an expert had to do this for information necessary for mortgage valuation or for the new owner. However, with the portal, according to ČÚZK, it should be possible to obtain extracts from the cadastre over the internet, and banks will be able to access the data directly through the web. The new owner can then obtain an electronic extract, for example, from home, but according to ČÚZK, it will not be necessary since the necessary offices will have access to the cadastre system.

Physically, people will no longer need to visit the office for necessary changes in the cadastre. After logging in via e-identity to the portal and selecting a property, they can make the required changes, with the system advising whether it is sufficient to report the change or if further documentation is needed.

Štencel previously stated that ČÚZK wants to limit access to data in the cadastre. For example, access to data about individuals and legal relationships concerning a particular property, which can currently be obtained anonymously by anyone, would be provided to interested parties only after proving their identity. The reason for the limitation, according to the office, is the mass illegal acquisition of data from the cadastre. Such data is then used by speculators for dealings with shares in properties. Cadastre data can be legally purchased and distributed with the consent of ČÚZK. However, according to the office, data from the cadastre is being mass obtained by automated programs. ČÚZK plans to submit a proposal for changes to the law for public comment in the second half of this year.