More than 500 state bodies currently owned roughly 1.5 million immovable assets between them. Photo credit: KK / Brno Daily.
Prague, Feb 8 (CTK) – The Czech state intends to conduct a general inventory of publicly-owned real estate, in order to reveal properties that are not needed and which could be given to local or regional authorities, Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjura (ODS) told journalists yesterday.
Katerina Arajmu, head of the Office for Government Representation in Property Affairs (UZSVM), said more than 500 state bodies currently owned roughly 1.5 million immovable assets between them. Following a recent change, all state-owned immovable property can now be found on the UZSVM website.
Stanjura said it is not known which of the properties are needed by the state bodies, and was therefore unable to estimate how many assets are not needed and how much money would be saved if the state did not have to maintain them. If they were transferred to municipalities, it may allow them, for example, to create cycling routes more quickly or build public housing.
Arajmu said that the state has been trying to conduct an audit of its property since 2015. She said UZSVM would send state institutions a list of their registered properties by the end of February, and institutions should explain by August whether they really need them.
Frantisek Lukl, head of the Association of Towns and Municipalities, said local government bodies would appreciate it if they could soon take over some of this land. “Most investment projects mainly concern state property,” he said. “The process was not always fast and easy, but now I welcome a partnership attitude that will speed everything up.” He added that these projects most often included sewage systems, cycle routes and roads that cross the land of several owners.
