Representatives of associations and chambers of commerce are concerned that the digitalisation of construction proceedings, which is to be part of the amendment to the Construction Act, will not be introduced in time. This could cause the entire process of acquiring planning documentation and construction proceedings in the Czech Republic to grind to a halt. Therefore, in an open letter, the Platform for a Sound Construction Law called on the government to ensure that the digital system is properly introduced. So far, it said, there is a lack of any information on the system.
The amendment to the law, including the digitalisation of construction procedures, is expected to come into force on July 1 this year. Regional Development Minister Ivan Bartos (Pirates) had earlier announced that the digitisation would be introduced in time and the law would come into force on that date. The amendment has been postponed twice before.
“There is great concern that part of the digitisation will in fact be replaced by mere computerisation, but this will not provide the expected solution. It is an open secret that there is talk in professional circles about the need to postpone the effectiveness of the amendment to the Construction Act for at least one year, or at least to postpone the effectiveness of those parts that define digitisation in the Act,” the platform said in its letter.
The platform asks that the public be informed of the details of the digitisation as soon as possible so that individual entities can prepare for it. The platform says the Ministry of Regional Development (MMR) should also explain how regions or other public administration bodies are connected to the Builder’s Portal. The platform is concerned that instead of digitisation, documents will be sent to officials in PDF format via the portal, and that the system will not be different from the data box system.
The current government of Petro Fiala (ODS) cancelled the then amendment establishing the Supreme Construction Office and the Ministry of Regional Development under Bartoš cancelled the contract for the digitisation of the construction procedure, which his predecessor Klára Dostálová (ANO) wanted to introduce. The tender for the information system for digitisation of construction proceedings from 2021 with an estimated price of CZK 1.9 billion was suspended and the aforementioned billion was redistributed among the regions.
Subsequently, the ministry launched a new tender and at the beginning of June last year it chose a new contractor who was supposed to carry out the digitisation approximately CZK 1.2 billion cheaper than the 2021 offer. The Office for the Protection of Competition (OPC) finally cancelled the MMR tender due to discriminatory conditions. Subsequently, the MMR awarded the creation of a part of the systems for the digitalisation of the construction procedure in a negotiated procedure without publication, i.e. without competition, for CZK 37 million to the same company InQool. Two applications for prohibition of performance were filed against this contract with the Office for the Protection of Competition.
The Platform for a Sound Construction Act includes the Section of Territorial and Regional Development of the Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of Industry and Transport, the Confederation of Construction Entrepreneurs, the Czech Chamber of Architects, the Association of Developers, the Chamber of Chartered Engineers and the Confederation of Employers’ and Business Associations.
Source: CTK
