Testing of the digitized construction management and training of officials will begin in May

Prague - Testing of the digitized version of the building permit process, which is set to start on July 1, and training for staff at building offices will begin in mid-May. Vice Prime Minister for Digitalization and Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš (Pirates) stated this today on the Part of Terezie Tománková show on CNN Prima News. According to him, the technical equipment has been purchased and is being distributed to the building offices. He reiterated that his ministry will manage to launch the digitalization of the building permit process by July 1.

"I am a bit sorry about the debate that is taking place around this in the public space, because the technical equipment for the offices worth 200 million crowns has been purchased and is being distributed to the building offices," said Bartoš. "Starting from May 15, we will begin training with the technical equipment, and I demonstrated the functional system in Brno (at the construction fair) just as it will be handed over on May 1," he added.

Bartoš has repeatedly stated in the past that he believes the digitalization of the building permit process will be accomplished by July 1. "I think the system is intuitive from the office's perspective. If people can manage a filing service or make purchases on an e-shop, operating this system is quite similar," the minister said. According to him, officials will also have instructional videos available.

Former Minister for Regional Development and current Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Klára Dostálová (ANO) expressed doubts today on CNN Prima News that the digitized version of the building permit process would operate from July 1.

"The panic at the building offices is truly enormous and the officials are legitimately afraid," stated Dostálová. "You are launching it live on July 1, and the officials will not have had a chance to get accustomed to it," she added. She previously stated that the deadline for the launch should be postponed by six months for testing.

In practice, the digitized building permit process, according to previous statements from the Ministry for Regional Development, will function so that all information about the ongoing process will be available on the Builder's Portal. Information about all persons and participants involved in each procedure will be recorded, and the system will be connected to the basic registries. Once logged in, the user will know the status of their procedure. They will also see who has already commented on the proposal and will have access to all necessary documents.

Authorities and offices will operate within a unified information system for building permits. Builders will fill out data in electronic forms on the portal, and documents should subsequently be accessible from a single repository. If officials and builders wish, they can display everything in PDF, but this will not be a necessity or obligation. The ministry will gradually add more functions after July 1.

The current form of the digitized building permit process, which is part of the previously postponed amendment to the building law, is criticized by many entities, such as the Union of Towns and Municipalities, the Association of Developers, and the Platform for a Healthy Building Law, as well as other experts.