stavebníctvo, výstavba a regionálny rozvoj - EUROREPORT plus

they treat it not adequately. Many people can
remember a tremendous boom in construction
of rental apartments in the seventies and in
the eighties, so thus, they may compare it
with these days. Notwithstanding, nowadays
we may experience completely different era
having completely different requirements.
The reason is that housing estate
construction is less discussed in mass
media and second, it is the matter of private
companies and not the State anymore.
Huge industrial constructions are often
spoken about, notably construction of huge
industrial parks for automobile enterprises.
The automobile industry relates to topic
number one. Recently I met representatives
with the Civil Engineering Union in Slovakia
and I have learned that there are less and
less applicants interested in studies of civil
engineering and related specialisation at
secondary vocational schools while there
are more and more applicants registered
for studies at secondary apprentice schools
specialised in transport.
Is there sufficient amount of flats in
Slovakia at the present? Do we achieve
average of the European Union?
It‘s obvious that housing estate
construction has been launched in Slovakia
although not at full speed. But that‘s true that
any developer will build up just particular
amount of flats he is able to sell, so thus, he
is motivated by the numeric limits. Despite
this fact recent statistical data say that in
Slovakia there was construction of much
more apartments completed last year than
in preceding year and there are still many
housing estates under construction for the
time being. With respect to statistics we are
far from standards when being compared to
other European Union countries. We do not
comply with the EU standards related to flat
surface, number of rooms, etc.
Romany settlements are of
socio-economic and country-wide
dimensions. Slovakia is unable to solve
out the Romany issue for many years.
Statistical data related especially to
eastern Slovakia are distorted due to
the Romany settlements, so thus, there
are anomalies reported saying that in a
village of three hundred houses there are
two thousand inhabitants who live there.
In Romany settlement there are dwellings
being not incorporated in statistical data as
they do not exist on paper despite the fact
that their inhabitants have been reported in
the statistics.
Another aspect relates to the fact that
some of inhabitants have more than
one flat available; notably in towns
there is a great number of vacant
apartments which are being rented
even unofficially for money under the
table.
Well, it is another problematic viewpoint
of statistics. The problem is that such
apartments are occupied but in statistics they
are not registered as rental flats. Statistical
data just report communal apartments as
rental ones, so thus, they are distorted data.
Tens, hundreds of people live as tenants at
someone in a flat, i.e., they signed a contract
of the leased flat with the owner of a flat. The
respective flats are owned and if they are
rented, the renting is the very same as in a
communal flat. Although such a communal
flat belongs to a community and it is the
community which may let it lease. All these
so-called vacant apartments determined to
be rented are not comprised in statistics and
we all of us know perfectly well that there is
a tremendous amount of such apartments
designed for renting.
Thus, if we are to define precisely what is
it a rental flat we might get more favourable
score in statistics. Such activities of some
citizens should be better zoomed just from
the viewpoint of tax obligations as many
owners of flats do not report tenants in order
not to pay tax levies from rental income.
Moreover, the said enterprising distorts
statistics concerning numbers of citizens in
respective towns, villages and communities.
Hundreds and thousands of people, notably
young people report permanent address at
their parents‘ place while they live and work
in some other place in some other town.
The paradox is that the State Fund
of Housing Development subsidized
solvent people being capable to pay for
a flat construction in housing estate.
Terms and conditions have changed
for the time being; will the State Fund
of Housing Development back up
insolvent people being unable to pay
for construction of own flat?
Definitely yes. Terms and conditions are
being determined by law. The State Fund of
Housing Development has to follow strict
standards; bribery is not being allowed,
nobody may skip the turn in filing the
application for support and everybody is
sure that if they have the right for being
allocated the support they will be surely
granted it. That‘s for sure. Nowadays, all the
applications are being registered according
to date of submittance and it is impossible
to favourize an application being delivered
to the State Fund of Housing Development
later, etc.
I think that everybody who visits
Slovakia and also local inhabitants
travelling accross Slovakia can see a
lot of construction sites in towns and
villages which are changing their look.
But the architecture is being spoiled
frequently by a lack of urbanism
and many times by an architect
himself. Who should be responsible
for urbanism of a country? Isn‘t the
Ministry of Construction and Regional
Development competent for it?
The City of Bratislava did not have the
position of chief architect appointed recently
and I really do not know such a case when
a town did not have the position of chief
architect appointed in respective local
administration. I was performing my job in
self-governmental bodies of town of Prešov
and the position of chief architect was an
important position there. Moreover, town of
Prešov is municipal cultural heritage, i.e., any
construction is discussed and consulted by
both architects and monument preservation
experts. And they are rather ortodox in my
opinion.
Before any developer launches the
starting excavation works he has to
obtain building permit, i.e., to approach
hundred of respective authorities,
bodies and officers chasing the
approvals, seals, stamps...
This aspect is being solved by amendment
to Building Act, significantly simplifying the
building permit procedure. Many decisions
which were subject to be handled by any
developer turned to be subject to be handled
by respective authorities between each
other communicating, so thus, not so many
decisions and approvals will be needed, but
just the binding standpoints. In other words,
building permit procedure is going to be
simplified. The Bill will be considered on floor
of Parliament this June. The amendment to
Building Act and simplification of building
permit procedure for constructions is our
initiative and it is our wish to push the
alteration to Building Law on Parliamentary
session.
Excerpt from an Interview with the
Vice-Chair of Parliamentary Committee
for Economy, Privatisation and
Enterprising, Ľubomír Vážny
The Parliamentary Committee for
Economy, Privatisation and Enterprising
covers a rather wide range of issues.
Apart from others the Committee
deals with construction and regional
development. To what extent do you
pay attention to these aspects on floor
of Parliament?
We patronize the three ministries:
the Ministry of Transport, Post and
Telecommunications, the Ministry of
Economy and the Ministry of Construction
and Regional Development. With respect to
such a wide scope it is impossible to pay a
deep attention to every issue as the practice
would request it. We dealt with the issue
of construction and regional development
although I have to admit that both aspects
are behind with expectations. There are huge
gaps in executive power of the State in this
field. Construction has been limited just to
erection of apartments. In our opinion special
attention has to be paid to allocation of an
amount of seven billion Slovak crowns
the Government has available as
the matter is more to subsidize
the banks than to allocate direct
subsidies to construction. I keep
73
SUMMARY