Prague, Aug 22 (CTK) – The Czech Regional Development Ministry’s biggest success in the ending election term is the completion of the use of EU subsidies from the 2007-2013 budget period, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said after meeting Minister Karla Slechtova to assess her achievements on Tuesday.
Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) also praised the passing of an amendment to the construction law and a new law on public procurement, which took effect last October.
On the other hand, he is disappointed at the failure to pass a bill on social housing, he said.
Sobotka said he thanked Slechtova (for ANO) for a resolute and dynamic management of the Regional Development Ministry.
On arrival at the ministry, Slechtova faced a number of problems to be coped with. She brought a fresh wind to the ministry, reduced certain agendas and developed many others, Sobotka said.
Sobotka’s centre-left cabinet, in which the third partner are the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), was appointed in early 2014. Slechtova joined it in October 2014, replacing Vera Jourova (ANO), who became an EC member.
Sobotka praised the ministry for having drawn the rest of the EU subsidies left from the previous budget period.
“When our cabinet was appointed, the prospect [of the money drawing] was gloomy. I am glad that the result is markedly better than originally expected. More than 96 percent [of the subsidies assigned to the Czechs in the given period] was drawn,” Sobotka said.
Praising the new amendment to the construction law, promoted by Slechtova’s ministry, he said it will facilitate procedures mainly for small builders and accelerate large construction projects.
He said he and Slechtova agreed that still before the October 20-21 general election, she will submit a basic concept of a brand-new construction bill to the cabinet.
When it comes to the ministry’s failures, Sobotka mentioned the planned but never passed bills on social housing and public auctions.
“It took a long time to prepare a social housing bill and I am unhappy that a part of lawmakers, mainly from the right-wing [opposition], prevented it from being passed,” Sobotka said.
Sobotka is having separate meetings with ministers to assess their performance for a third time in this election term. The first time was in mid-2014, the second time was last November and December.
Before Slechtova, he met several ministers in the past weeks and he is to meet others in the days to come.
