On August 21, 2024, the leadership of the government party TOP 09 decided to initiate coalition negotiations, where the chairman of the Pirates and Minister for Regional Development, Ivan Bartoš, is expected to present a schedule and proposal for addressing issues with the digitalization of construction management. According to a statement from the party’s spokesperson, Markéta Volfová, the party’s leadership is deeply concerned about the implementation of digitalization in construction management, for which Bartoš is responsible. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) intends to address the issues with digitalization of construction management at the government meeting on Wednesday, as stated by the government spokesperson, Lucie Ješátková, in response to TOP 09’s call for action.
The launch of the digitalized system has been accompanied by problems that some coalition politicians have deemed serious enough to warrant Bartoš taking responsibility if the Ministry of Regional Development (MMR) does not resolve them by the end of August. The chairwoman of TOP 09 and the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, stated in an interview with Czech Television that TOP 09 aims to improve the system rather than calling for Bartoš‘ resignation. She has already informed him of the party’s stance and anticipates that a broader coalition meeting with the leaders of the K15 coalition will take place in the coming weeks to address the issue.
Bartoš plans to provide coalition partners with information on resolving the complications with the new system during the government meeting on Wednesday. The K5 coalition meeting, which usually takes place every other Tuesday, was not scheduled for today. However, ministers will convene in Straka’s Academy in the evening for a working meeting on next year’s budget, which TOP 09 does not intend to use for discussing the issue of construction management, according to Pekarová Adamová.
„We will be pleased to receive current information from the minister, but most importantly, assurance that the problems will be resolved as soon as possible so that the system can function flawlessly,“ said Sára Beránková, spokesperson for the STAN movement, in response to TOP 09’s initiative. The current state of digitalization in construction management is unsatisfactory, according to the movement, which has repeatedly warned Bartoš based on feedback and warnings from the regions.
„The dysfunctionality of construction management currently complicates the entire permitting process, and ensuring the full functioning of construction management is a priority for the Christian Democrats. The Ministry of Regional Development must address the problems, and dysfunctional digitalization of construction management must not jeopardize or worsen the already complicated housing shortage in the Czech Republic,“ stated David Jirušek, spokesperson for KDU-ČSL.
According to the vice-chairman of TOP 09 and the Senate, Tomáš Czernin, the issues with digitalization will be discussed in the upper parliamentary chamber on Wednesday during the plenary session. He announced this on the X network.
Bartoš has faced strong criticism for the shortcomings in the new system since the end of July, a month after its launch. Professional associations, builders, and officials have pointed out the errors. Bartoš told journalists today that the most important parts of automation are on the right track, and the mentioned adjustments should be completed by the end of August.
The demands of officials and builders for adjustments in the construction management systems include the ability to view files and identify individuals with citizenship other than Czech. Bartoš mentioned this after meeting with the Association of Secretaries of Municipal and Local Authorities, where the system still exhibits deficiencies, but improvements have been made in several areas. Bartoš informed on the X social network today that the percentage of requests from the builder’s portal on which authorities have started working has increased from 69 to nearly 80 percent compared to the previous week. The number of successfully submitted requests has exceeded 10,000.
„Last week, we had an average of over 450 submissions per day. The pace of processing is also accelerating – there have been just over 900 completed proceedings, including approvals. Before the middle of August, we added some functions to the information system that automate work in offices, such as mass verification of persons, parcels, buildings, and proposed objects or participants in proceedings. By the end of the month, the system will have around 130 of the most commonly used templates, into which information from proceedings is automatically entered,“ Bartoš stated.
In conclusion, the digitalization of construction management in the Czech Republic has faced challenges and criticisms, but efforts are being made to address the issues and improve the system for better efficiency and functionality. The government and coalition partners are working together to find solutions and ensure that the digitalization process benefits all stakeholders involved in the construction industry.