stavebníctvo, výstavba a regionálny rozvoj - EUROREPORT plus

SUMMARY
Excerpt from an Interview with the
Minister of Construction and Regional
Development of the Slovak Republic,
László Gyurovszky
Are you proud of what have you
reached within the framework of tasks
outlined as target in the position of the
construction and regional development
minister and what do you intend
to catch up by the end of electoral
period?
I am proud that we succeeded to approve
right documents for period of time from
2004 to 2006 and development programmes
developed for years 2006 to 2009. Next,
we handled the changes concerning new
ministerial logistical structure; we developed
functioning information system and finally,
we‘ve got available sufficient number of high
standard projects. They are of success achieved
by our ministerial team I am really proud of.
At the present time we face finalization of
operation programmes; we are preparing
the National strategic reference framework
within the scope of which we define the
requirements for budget related to structural
funds and Cohesion Fund.
Functioning information system is
supposed to be grounds for success.
For what needs have you developed it
and why?
The matter is high standard information
technology monitoring system at the ministry
for structural funds and Cohesion Fund,
so-called ITMS. Our information system
has been highly evaluated by independent
professional jury of specialists at the
ITAPA 2004 international conference in the
category of Amelioration of Procedures and
it won the first place. We definitely succeeded
to prove by this that the ministry is able
to file and register the submitted projects
applied for support from the European
Union funds. We have to emphasize that
the project of supra-ministerial information
portal Structural Funds for the Slovak
Republic is our next project in the field of
information technologies which has been
granted the third place within the framework
of the ITAPA 2004 event in the category of
New Services.
Informatization of the society is utmost
topical nowadays. The European Union
pays a special attention to the topic. Is
that so?
Informatization plays a significant
role within the framework of three main
priorities and strategic goals in the society.
Informatization belongs to the pillars of
advantage jointly with education and
development of regions. The said priorities
are mutually interlinked and intervowen.
Don‘t the funds from the European
Union, we have currently available,
count on revitalization of housing
estates?
Instructions for withdrawing the funds
from the European Union are of no restrictive
character. Everything may depend on the
negotiations held. In this period of time
there are criteria and priorities determined
for the basic infrastructure but in near future
it may prospectively get changed. By the end
of June we should have available strategic
instructions for withdrawing further funds.
For the time being, the European Union
does not back up directly the projects
related to revitalization of housing estates.
Notwithstanding we‘d like to re-open the
issue in the form of co-operation within the
framework of former V4 Group countries...
Do we still subsidize the construction of
rental apartments?
The biggest number of applicants
for subsidies was obviously within the
framework of programme related to
construction of rental apartments. We
allocated the subsidies for construction
of two thousand, five hundred and forty
rental apartments within the scope of the
Housing Development Programme last year.
We provided the districts of Nitra, Prešov,
Trnava and Žilina with the highest amounts
of allocated subsidies aimed at construction
of rental apartments. The said districts are
interested first of all in establishment of new
entities and announced arrival of foreign
investors, and subsequently in creating new
vacancies in the mentioned regions.
Recently, the SR Ministry for Construction
and Regional Development submitted a
development programme of priorities
for public works for further years to the
Government. What can be understood
under public works, widely known
sofar within the scope of the Ministry
of Labour, Social Affairs and Family?
What extent of public works is being
covered by the Ministry of Construction
and Regional Development?
Let me explain what do constructions in
public interest really mean. In this category
there are comprised works of construction
financed from public funds price for which is
amounting to more then two hundred million
Slovak crowns. Such a construction is always
being classified from the viewpoint whether the
funds designed for financing it, have been spent
adequately and whether the requirements
were not overestimated. Notwithstanding, the
ministry does not specify the location where to
build up a bridge or a road.
Thus, what does state expert‘s opinion
mean in fact?
The matter is to review building plan
with the aim to evaluate optimally the use
of public investments. The expert‘s opinion
observes whether the proposed layout is
optimal. All constructions exceeding two
hundred million Slovak crowns are being
estimated which relate to so-called public
works. It is not us who decide what is priority.
Other entities are competent to decide where
and what construction should be built up in
public interest on the basis of which the state
expert‘s opinion is being processed. Thus,
this is the way how to proceed.
By the end of last year you called
for submitting the applications for
non-returnable subsidies for the
INTERREG trans-border co-operation
on the basis of the Community Initiative
programme adopted by the European
Commission. What is the co-operation
about?
None of the borders is the contribution
to development of a region; just on the
contrary, any border is harm to development.
For example, regions of Spiš and Gemer are
territories separated by borders and it is not
in favour of any of each. Therefore, thanks
to the programme the said regions may get
developed. The substantional target of transborder
co-operation within the framework
of INTERREG programme is to improve
co-operation between the neighbouring
countries. The matter is development of
trans-border economic and social centres
through the mediation of joint strategies
and projects of territorial development. We
shall back up any project which may be of
contribution and effect beyond any limits.
The aim of the programme is to renew
obvious interlinks between the regions which
were disturbed. It is our wish to make regions
living their own lives being not limited by any
borders. Documents related to submitting the
project applications are available on internet
websites of the ministry - www.build.gov.sk
and www.strukturalnefondy.sk.
Diversity between Slovakia‘s regions is
rather significant. Viewing near future
prospectively, do you think that important
differences will be erased soon?
We make any endeavours to achieve
the goal being supported by the European
Union. Let‘s say that position of Bratislava
towards other regions refers to one to two.
But if we compare some regions we could say
that difference between them corresponds to
one to one point two, etc. Structural funds
lead to equalizing, erasing the differences
between the regions. The European
Union funds are available; we are
able to submit right projects and
that is why I think that we could
succeed to manage it.
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SUMMARY