MMR plans to abolish 200 out of 700 building offices

Prague - The Ministry for Regional Development's proposed amendment to the building act involves the abolition of approximately 200 building authorities. Their powers would be transferred to so-called authorized municipalities. Currently, building authorities operate in about 700 locations in the Czech Republic. Hynek Jordán, spokesman for MMR, said this to ČTK today. Representatives of municipalities have expressed dissatisfaction with the plan.
    "We are fundamentally opposed," said Jaromír Jech, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Association of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic, to ČTK. "Municipalities' mayors, and thus the Association of Towns and Municipalities, consider the abolition of building authorities as an distancing of state administration from citizens," he added.
    People would reportedly have to travel greater distances to handle building matters. In the past, according to Jech, attempts to abolish part of the building authorities have already emerged, but they have not succeeded so far. "I believe we will defend them now as well," he noted.
    However, the spokesman for MMR is not concerned about a deterioration of services in building proceedings. "The aim of MMR is the rationalization of state administration in times of crisis, but at the same time, we do not want to limit services to the population," Jordán stated.
    Building authorities are the main institution for reporting and permitting construction. They assess, for example, whether construction projects are in line with the zoning plan and whether the project meets the general requirements for construction. The building permit also establishes conditions for the execution of the construction.
    According to information on the MMR website, the proposal for the amendment should go for public consultation by the end of the first quarter of 2009.