The current supplier of the system for building authorities is requesting 360 million from the Ministry of Regional Development

Prague – The company Vita software, which has so far supplied most building authorities with a system for building proceedings, is requesting 360 million crowns from the Ministry for Regional Development, according to the HN.cz website. If the state does not pay the company Vita software, it could threaten to withhold data from past building proceedings, according to the server. The ministry plans to obtain this information without the participation of the current suppliers.

Vita software provides about 85 percent of authorities in the Czech Republic with a program in which officials conduct building proceedings according to the old law. However, since the beginning of this month, new legislation has been in effect and the MMR has launched a central information system for building proceedings (IS SŘ) in accordance with it.

The ministry originally expected that cities would contractually ensure the transfer of data to the new system with their current suppliers. According to the server, it was not anticipated that the largest of them would resist. "They wanted 600,000 crowns for each transferred building authority. That is an unreasonable amount," said Petr Klán, director of the Department of Digitalization and Information Systems at MMR, to HN.cz. In total, this would amount to 360 million crowns. According to the server, Vita software argues that the ministry has allocated exactly 360 million crowns from the National Recovery Plan for data migration.

The state is now planning to obtain data on building proceedings without the participation of current suppliers. "It will be more labor-intensive for the ministry, but we are definitely not talking about 400 million," Klán stated.

This week, Vita software called on building officials in a mass letter to process new applications in its system, which has been adjusted in accordance with the new building legislation. However, according to the ministry, such a procedure is not possible, as the only system for carrying out building code tasks is the IS SŘ according to the building law.

The new building law came into effect on July 1 for all types of construction. For example, the regulation abolishes double permitting of buildings and merges territorial and building proceedings into one. The proceedings are also meant to be digital for all participants through the Builder's Portal and other systems, and all documentation is online. Authorities and builders are to communicate in interconnected systems.

Authorities in the Czech Republic are still having difficulties with the new online system for building proceedings. They claim it has many flaws and rather complicates their work. Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš (Pirates) admitted today that there are issues with the transition and promised municipalities a detailed manual.