The Ministry of Regional Development will launch a new public tender for the contractor of the digital construction management system. Until it is operational, the amendment to the law will set a transitional period during which officials at construction offices will be able to use the previously used software to process applications. The government of Petro Fiala agreed on this approach to the digitalisation of the construction procedure at a meeting on Wednesday 16 October 2024. It also approved other forms of aid to those affected by the recent floods, a draft treaty between the Czech Republic and the Holy See, and a proposal to adjust the salaries of judges and other public officials following the Constitutional Court's verdict in May.
The government discussed a report on the status of the digitisation of the construction procedure and the proposal of the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Regional Development on how to solve the problems related to the implementation of the new IT system. The Cabinet agreed that the best solution would be not to develop the current digital construction management system any further and to launch a new public tender for the supplier of the entire system. The current one does not provide legal or technical guarantees that the expectations of applicants and the requirements of the new Construction Act will be met.
Until the launch of the new system, there will be a transitional period, the so-called partial legislative and technological bypass, which will treat the necessary postponement legislatively and allow officials to use information systems used before 30 June this year in addition to the functional components of the current digital system. Full functionality of the digital construction management systems can be expected by 1 January 2028, including the necessary testing period. For details, see the Department for Transport press release. For details, see press release of the Ministry of Transport.
The Government has approved other forms of assistance to people and municipalities in dealing with the consequences of the September floods. It decided to release CZK 3 billion from the government's budget reserve to the budget of the Ministry of the Environment, which will be given to the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic to finance two new subsidy programmes - one billion for the Assistance to households after the 2024 floodwhich will be paid to the affected population through the municipal governments, and two billion for the programme Restoring environmental infrastructure after the 2024 floodwhich is aimed at restoring damaged water infrastructure. More in press release of the Ministry of the Environment.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs will receive CZK 2.5 billion for expenditure related to the payment of the material hardship allowance. The reason for this is the high number of applications for aid in material distress after the September floods, for which the Labour Office has already paid out more than CZK 400 million. Each affected household can apply for up to CZK 72 000 to pay for basic necessities, disinfection or protective equipment for flood damage repair. By the end of September, 89 per cent of the original allocation of 10.47 billion had already been spent.
The government also approved a bill to help people who have had to stay at home with children or those in need of care because of the floods. Act on emergency support for people affected by floods in 2024 provides, for example, for the extension of the payment of the nursing allowance from the original nine calendar days to the entire period of closure of the school facility due to flooding, for the payment of nursing allowance to persons caring for the disabled in the event of closure of nursing facilities or caring for dependent children with special educational needs or dependent on the assistance of another person at least in level I. The same rules will be set for members of the security forces who are granted paid leave in lieu of sick leave under this special law, which is expected to be in force until 31 March 2025. The government intends to ask the House of Commons to consider this proposal as soon as possible in a state of legislative emergency.
The Cabinet also discussed a proposal Amendments to the Act on the salary and other benefits related to the performance of the duties of public officials and certain state bodies and judges and Members of the European Parliament and the Act on the Salary and Certain Other Requirements of Public Prosecutors. The amendment responds to the May verdict of the Constitutional Court, which abolished the statutory coefficient necessary for calculating the salaries of judges and, through them, of state officials and prosecutors, effective 1 January 2025. Therefore, in the amendment, the government sets the salary bases of judges and other public officials for the next year and the mechanism for further calculation of these bases from 2026. The amendment also contains provisions on compensation for the President of the Republic, including possible compensation for his spouse or partner. More on the proposal in press release of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
The government also discussed and approved Draft Treaty between the Czech Republic and the Holy See on certain legal matters. The treaty is a confirmation of the mutual relations between the Czech Republic and the Holy See and is intended to further protect the freedom of religion of citizens and the interests of all churches and religions practising in the Czech Republic. If the ratification process is completed, the government will be able to complete the whole process after 22 years of delays, thus fulfilling another point of its programme declaration.
The government has also sent a proposal to Parliament amendments to the Military Police Act. The amendment is intended to strengthen the powers of the Military Police by, among other things, adding to the law powers similar to those of the Police of the Czech Republic, for example, to use unmanned systems, to seize driving licences in justified cases or to be able to enter homes in order to protect life or property. The amendment will also make it possible, without further approval, to call up military police officers when necessary to perform the tasks of the Police of the Czech Republic or to employ civilian employees in the Military Police. More in press release of the Ministry of Defence.
Government of the Czech Republic/ gnews - RoZ
English 
Czech