The recent updates to the digital systems used by construction offices in the Czech Republic have failed to resolve the fundamental issues faced by these offices. The Ministry of Regional Development aimed to address key deficiencies through the latest updates. However, employees report that the changes are not significant enough to improve their workflow. Even a month after the rollout, the digitalization of construction procedures remains largely ineffective.
Miroslav Šimek, head of the construction office in Liberec, stated that the system continues to function the same way without any substantial improvements. Critical features that were available in the old program are still missing, making it difficult for officials to process applications efficiently. Similarly, Filip Poňuchálek, spokesperson for the Brno City Hall, noted that although the update now allows for the cancellation of incorrect documents, essential templates for various tasks are still unavailable.
Ivan Bartoš, Minister of Regional Development, has acknowledged the need for further system repairs. Despite the ongoing issues, he maintains that documents successfully reach officials and that some projects have already been approved. Bartoš does not consider the problems to be catastrophic and has no plans to resign, despite calls from opposition members.
The Ministry intends to carry out updates every two weeks and address critical flaws outside these scheduled updates. Planned improvements include bulk identification of persons and parcels and automatic data loading from existing plans into new applications. Additionally, a series of training sessions for construction offices and a new manual on system usage will be available by the end of the summer holidays.
The difficulties with the new systems could further harm the Czech construction industry, which is still recovering from the downturn caused by inflation and high interest rates. Construction professionals fear that if the Ministry does not resolve these issues promptly, there could be a complete halt in issuing building permits, potentially lasting several months according to the Czech Chamber of Authorized Engineers and Technicians (ČKAIT).
In response to these challenges, the most radical officials have even suggested going on strike. However, most municipalities are reluctant to take such drastic measures and remain hopeful that the Ministry will address their concerns. Josef Solanský, secretary of the municipal office in Nový Jičín, expressed confidence that the Ministry will resolve the situation within a reasonable timeframe.