Digitized construction permitting systems comply with law, but fail users, says Minister Kulhánek

Czech Minister for Regional Development Petr Kulhánek confirmed today that the digital systems for handling construction permits meet legal requirements, though they remain far from user-friendly. He acknowledged persistent complaints from both developers and officials, citing ongoing issues that the ministry is working to address. The Czech Chamber of Architects and the Association of Municipal Secretaries have similarly voiced concerns about usability problems and insufficient system preparedness.

These systems were rolled out amid controversy: In late 2024, a transitional “technical bypass” was introduced, allowing authorities to operate both legacy and digital platforms concurrently, in light of numerous audits noting critical flaws. The government has since launched a new tender process for a full replacement system expected to be operational by January 2028 at the latest.

Kulhánek attributed the shortcomings to the ongoing transitional phase. He highlighted that the Ministry’s IT leadership, including Eva Pavlíková, is conducting market consultations to improve functionality. A new system contract is planned to be finalized by the next government term.

Critics have gone further: an audit found that the systems did not meet user needs, lacked proper documentation, and suffered from poor project management. Still, the underlying technology was deemed suitable for future development.

The flawed launch ultimately led to the dismissal of former Minister Ivan Bartoš and contributed to his party’s exit from the coalition. Kulhánek and industry leaders hope the revised leadership and system overhaul will finally deliver a functional, digital construction permit platform.