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Digitální systémy pro stavební povolení byly po výpadku znovu spuštěny. Problém způsobil hardware . Oprava trvala jeden den. Úřady nyní používají staré i nové systémy současně . Ministr Petr Kulhánek se omluvil za potíže. Digitální projekt má být funkční do roku 2028.

Translation

The digital systems for building permits have been restarted after an outage. The issue was caused by hardware. The repair took one day. Authorities are now using both the old and new systems simultaneously. Minister Petr Kulhánek apologised for the inconvenience. The digital project is expected to be fully functional by 2028.

Exercise: Text comprehension

Question 1: What caused the problem with the building permit systems?

Hardware caused the problem with the building permit systems.

Question 2: Who apologized for the inconvenience caused by the outage?

Minister Petr Kulhánek apologized for the inconvenience.

Exercise: Vocabulary

(m.) - system

(m.) - outage

- cause

(m.) - hardware

- simultaneously

- apologise

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▌03/12/2024

The Czech Republic's digital systems for building permits and planning were restored to operation late on Friday afternoon following an unexpected outage that lasted approximately one day. According to the Ministry of Regional Development, the disruption was caused by a hardware failure, which is currently under further analysis to prevent future occurrences.

The digitalisation of the building permitting process, launched on 1st July this year, has been fraught with challenges since its inception. As a response, a transitional phase is underway, allowing officials to employ both the new and legacy systems simultaneously. This period has proven necessary as recent setbacks have highlighted the systems' lack of stability.

The Ministry assembled a crisis team of fifteen IT specialists to address the outage, composed of experts from the department of the Deputy Minister for Regional Development, Karel Trpkoš, alongside representatives from supplier firms. The incident itself occurred during a routine operation, prompting the need for in-depth analysis of the digital system's vulnerabilities.

Czech Building Permit Systems Resume After Technical Outage Czech Building Permit Systems Resume After Technical Outage (Illustration)

As a temporary measure, all building authorities have been instructed to continue processes via the original systems they used up until the end of June, submitting completed outcomes into the new systems once they are fully operational again. Minister for Regional Development, Petr Kulhánek, has issued an apology for the complications experienced by officials and professionals in the construction sector.

Complaints about the systems' ineffectiveness have resonated from various quarters, including local government offices and industry professionals. These issues contributed to the dismissal of the former Minister for Regional Development, Ivan Bartoš, on the recommendation of Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala earlier this year. The political fallout from these developments also led to the Pirate Party's exit from the government coalition. Subsequently, Martin Kupka, the Minister of Transport, assumed a temporary role in coordinating digitalisation, later working with the newly appointed Minister Kulhánek.

Analyses have revealed that previous digital systems presented 25 discrepancies with building legislation. The Office for the Protection of Competition identified procedural errors in the original tender for these systems, and the decisions were upheld by the Regional Court in Brno, leading to the current suspension of further development efforts.

The government has resolved not to proceed with the development of the Integrated Building Permit Information System (ISSŘ) and the builder's portal. Instead, efforts are focused on establishing a technical and legislative "bypass" that facilitates permitting through the older systems, while preparing for a new tender process. The digitalisation project is expected to reach a functional and tested state by 2028. However, Minister Kulhánek expressed scepticism about the current government's ability to finalise the new contract, warning that any deviation by a future administration could further delay the rollout.

Info: 'Czech Learner News' is a service from 'Let's Learn Czech', a language school dedicated to teaching Czech. We offer various types of online Czech language course options to accommodate learners at different levels.

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