Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala appointed Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček. His main priorities include the implementation of the new Economic Strategy of the Czech Republic, completion of negotiations on the tender for the construction of new nuclear sources in Dukovany and other strategic projects, work on the modernisation of the energy industry, consumer protection and a fair environment for business, including reducing the administrative burden.
“There are priorities that need to be mastered by the new Minister, whether it is the last step towards the completion of the Dukovany nuclear power plant, the simplification of administration and the functional digitisation of basic processes for entrepreneurs,” said the Prime Minister. “The active role of the Czech Minister of Industry in the European Union to defend the interests of the Czech Republic is also important. He should participate in making the EU more rational in the future and not make decisions that threaten our competitiveness.”
“I want to thank my predecessor Jozef Síkela for a lot of work he did at the Ministry of Industry and Trade. I don’t see my work as a place to just tighten things up. My visions are much more varied and extend into the next election period, and my goal is to get the Czech Republic into the top 10 economies in Europe,” said the Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček, adding that the new Economic Strategy, which was launched in recent months in cooperation with the MIT, will help to meet this goal. “We will present the strategy today at the International Engineering Fair and submit it to the government for approval in the coming days. This is a long-term vision for the development of the Czech economy with an emphasis on a high added value, which is the basis of the prosperity of every economy. The economic strategy, which is appreciated by leading Czech economists, must not just remain on paper and I am going to start implement it from the first day in my office.”
In the field of energy, the new Minister will continue important negotiations on the diversification of gas supplies and the completion of new nuclear units in Dukovany. A key area will also be the modernisation of transmission and distribution systems for a stable energy infrastructure and the development of renewable energy sources. Minister Vlček plans to push through another amendment to the Energy Act, which introduces new modern rules for the electricity market, such as accumulation, flexibility and its aggregation.
“I will also focus on bringing new investments with high added value, such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence or electromobility and I would like to bring investors mainly to economically and socially excluded regions,” he underlined. “I will not forget the support of entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises so that they can continue to grow and innovate.”
Minister Vlček also plans to focus on consumer protection, the fight against monopolies and oligopolies, greater housing availability thanks to modern building standards and open and understandable communication with the public.