The minister does not rule out a reduction in the number of building authorities

Prague - Minister for Regional Development Kamil Jankovský (VV) does not rule out that the number of building authorities may decrease in the future. The planned proposal for a major amendment to the construction law may also change the approval of so-called linear structures, mainly roads and railways. Instead of a series of permits, it may suffice to have just one if this amendment is accepted. Jankovský said this today at a press conference. There are currently approximately 700 building authorities in the Czech Republic. According to the minister, reducing their number must precede discussions within the coalition and with the regions.
    "It is indeed a question of whether every municipality that issues a very small number of building permits each year should have a building authority," said the head of the Ministry for Regional Development (MMR). "Personally, I believe that the number of building authorities could be reduced," he added. However, he believes it is still premature to talk about specific numbers of possibly abolished authorities.
    The reduction of the number of building authorities was prepared by the MMR even under the leadership of Jiří Čunek (KDU-ČSL) back in 2008. However, it backed down from plans to abolish 200 out of 700 authorities. At that time, the plan faced objections from local representatives.
    Changes in the planned amendment to the construction law may also concern authorized inspectors, whose certificate may replace a building permit. However, the current construction law does not account for remedies against an inspector's decision, for example. "Because the building inspector receives quite large powers, I am in favor of certain limitations on the volume for which a building inspector can issue a certificate and at what volume it should already be on the desk of the building authority," said the minister. The delineation would be technical, not price-related, according to him.
    Jankovský also announced a new system for awarding contracts at his ministry today. "Previously, the contract award system at the ministry was somewhat chaotic and not entirely under control," noted Jankovský. The aim of the new measures is to have tenders under stricter supervision. For example, the number of people approving procurement documents will expand; for the purchase of complex information systems and technologies, external opposing evaluations will precede the process. "Thanks to an independent assessment, the subject of the public contract will be clearly defined, preventing it from being overvalued and eliminating favoring a specific supplier," the minister stated.
    The head of the Ministry for Regional Development also informed journalists about the results of the personnel audit at the MMR. Based on its first phase, the office will abolish up to 30 positions as part of cost-saving measures, down from the original 610 positions at the ministry this year. The next phase of the audit will see the MMR undergo reorganization, with some offices merging, and some of the office’s responsibilities being abolished.
    As a result of the audit, there may also be an increase in rent for retailers who have stores in the ministry’s headquarters in Prague’s Old Town Square and in Paris Street. These include, for example, a store with the luxury fashion brand Dior or the jewelry store Cartier. "Based on the first comparison of prices achieved on the market in the years when contracts were made, we find that the rental prices seem low," noted Minister Jankovský. A decision on the rent level for these stores is expected to be made in approximately 14 days.