Central Construction Administration could start operating in 2028

Prague - The Unified Central State Building Authority, as proposed by the emerging coalition of ANO, SPD, and Motorists, could start operating from January 1, 2028. A year earlier, the main changes associated with the building law reform could come into effect. In the future, a new state building office will not be established; the structure of the Transport and Energy Building Office (DESÚ) will be transformed, and it will be renamed the Territory Development Office. In a pre-recorded interview for today's conference of the Association of Rental Housing, Zuzana Schwarz Bařtipánová (ANO), a potential minister for regional development in the forming government, stated this.

"A unified central building administration will be created, but let's not imagine it as a new large building office. Essentially, there will be a transformation of DESÚ, which currently operates excellently under the law on linear constructions. Other building offices will also be included in this office, which will be renamed the Territory Development Office. Our expectation is that general effectiveness of these main changes could take place on January 1, 2027, and from January 1, 2028, there should be the organizational transfers and changes," said Schwarz Bařtipánová.

According to the current Minister for Regional Development in resignation, Petr Kulhánek (for STAN), the change in building administration would mean an additional three to four years of a transitional period, during which officials could use both digital systems and the original ones. This would not be ideal at a time when building procedures have stabilized, he noted. The current version of the building law began to take effect a year and a half ago.

The new building law prepared by the ANO movement aims to fundamentally simplify and expedite the building permitting process. It introduces the principle of one office – one procedure – one stamp, which abolishes the current array of binding opinions from various institutions. The relevant authorities are to be newly integrated into building offices, and their opinions will be unified into one coordinated statement. According to Schwarz Bařtipánová, municipalities would decide on further territorial development after the change in the building law. In contrast, the building permitting process should be managed by the state administration.

The new Territory Development Office of the Czech Republic is to be based in Prague and led by a chairman appointed and dismissed at the proposal of the Minister of Industry and Trade. The overarching office, among other things, should lead and oversee building proceedings and ensure technical regulations and standards. The office is to connect the functioning of building offices falling under the Ministry for Regional Development, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Transport, and DESÚ. Beneath it will be 14 regional territory development offices with 205 territorial workplaces in municipalities with extended jurisdiction.

The digitalization of building procedures is expected to be completed after the reform of the building code, that is, in 2029 or 2030, according to ANO. However, Kulhánek stated that the change in the building code could lead to further uncertainty for builders.

New systems were launched in July 2024 and from the beginning caused problems for both officials and builders. The current government decided to announce a new contract for the systems, which should be completed and tested at the beginning of 2028. During the transitional period, officials can use both the original and new systems concurrently.

"Of course, we expect that the current state of the so-called bypass will be continuously improved until digitalization occurs. We will correct the biggest mistakes to make it work as best as possible. But if we really want quality digitalization, we first need to have established processes," added Schwarz Bařtipánová.