Legal Reform team identifies and responds to issues of concern to the business community that can be resolved by a legislative & regulatory change. Based on members input, we comment and propose new laws, amendments or position papers and advocate them with the government and parliament. Among our major past successes are the new Insolvency Act, the Commercial Registry reform or capping the Social Security Contributions.
February 03, 2012
Chamber of Deputies Greenlight Public Procurement Reform
On January 31, the Chamber of Deputies rejected the Senate’s changing proposals to draft amendment to the Public Procurement Act related to ownership transparency and passed the reform version approved in November 2011. Press release of the Platform for Transparent Public Tenders follows. The Platform for Transparent Public Tenders believes the reform of public procurement passed by the Chamber of Deputies today represents major progress in the effort to achieve effective and transparent public procurement in the country. The Platform applauds the politicians, government officials, business and civic associations, and independent experts who worked together for more than a year to craft the best possible reform.
February 03, 2012
Ministry of Industry and Trade Launch New Project to Accelerate Intra-Corporate Transfers of non-EU Nationals
The Ministry of Industry and Trade in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduced a new project on February 1, 2012 that should facilitate intra-corporate transfers of managers and specialists - third country nationals - for major investors operating on the territory of the Czech Republic. Details of the project were consulted with Czech corporations and business associations, including AmCham. The background of the project, target group and eligibility criteria such as the number of employess globally and locally, yearly turnover, the volume of investment and tax paid, for example, are described in detail at http://www.mpo.cz/dokument102601.html
January 16, 2012
Platform for Transparent Public Tenders reject Senate's changing proposals to Public Procurement Bill
On Jan 13, the Council of the Platform for Transparent Public Tenders rejected the Senate's changing proposals related to ownership transparency and supported the version of the Public Procurement Bill approved by the Chamber of Deputies on Nov 4, 2011. The issue of ownership transparency should be dealt with outside the Public Procurement Act, the Platform Council agreed. The Council expressed support to the solution that is currently being sought by the Ministry of Justice (within the so-called Act on Transparency). Details (in Czech) are available at http://www.transparentnizakazky.cz/.
December 16, 2011
Committee for Labor and Social Affairs plans activities for 2012
AmCham Committee for Labor and Social Affairs met December 14 to evaluate activities in 2011 and plan steps for 2012.
December 16, 2011
Senate sends Public Procurement Act Amendment back to the Chamber, with a changing proposal
The Upper Chamber of the Czech Parliament voted on the amendment to the Public Procurement Act at its session on December 14. Senators are sending the amendment back to the Chamber of Deputies with a changing proposal by Nadační fond proti korupci that requires uncovering the ownership structure of winning bidders.
December 09, 2011
AmCham is prepared to help with the implementation of the Government's Competitiveness Strategy
AmCham members discussed the implementation of the Strategy of International Competitiveness of the Czech Republic with Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Martin Tlapa and Head of the EU Internal Market and Services Unit, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Filip Svoboda. Topics discussed included R&D, innovations, human resource develoipment and energy efficiency, among others.
December 09, 2011
Public Procurement Act Amendment in the Senate: Nadační fond proti korupci submits ownership structure transparency proposal
Over the past few weeks, the Expert Group of the Platform for Transparent Public Procurement has discussed the Nadační fond proti korupci-Veřejnost proti korupci proposal to require ownership structure declarations from bidders. The Platform agreed that ownership of companies doing business with the state should be fully transparent, and that this issue should be addressed in legislation outside of the act on public procurement. The Senate will debate the proposal at its session starting on December 7.
December 02, 2011
Finance Ministry and AmCham discuss issues around upcoming reform of direct taxes
Representatives of the Income Tax Dept. of the Ministry of Finance S.Springl and M.Pitterling discussed with AmCham members the purpose and impact of the upcoming direct tax reform and related issues on the business sector, employers, and employees.
November 11, 2011
Labor Code Amendment includes top AmCham priorities
The Chamber of Deputies greenlighted the amendment to the Labor Code on November 7. Top priorities of AmCham were incorparetd, including temporary secondment of employees with another employer, a more flexible termination of employment disputes resolution, and greater flexibility in employment relations with top management employees, among others.
November 08, 2011
Chamber of Deputies approves Public Procurement Act Amendment
On November 4, the Chamber of Deputies approved the amendment to the Act on Public Procurement. Most of the 39 principles proposed by the Platform for transparent public procurement in spring 2010 were incorporated.
November 04, 2011
AmCham Committee for Labor and Social Affairs holds a Seminar Amended Labor Code: What Changes to Expect in 2012?
AmCham Committee for Labor and Social Affairs organized a seminar on changes to be brought by the currently debated amendment to the Labor Code. Changes and their practical impact on the day-to-day operation of a business were presented by ten law companies - AmCham members.
October 21, 2011
Platform Expert Group discusses changing proposals
The expert group of the Platform for transparent public procurement is discussing changing proposals to the Public Procurment Draft Amendment.
October 20, 2011
AmCham Position on Payroll Tax Part of JIM
AmCham Committee for Labor and Social Affairs and Tax Committee discussed and commented the payroll tax part of the draft act on JIM/the Single Collection Point. The summary of comments is available bellow. The document was submitted for information to partners discussing the draft act.
October 14, 2011
Position of the Platform for Transparent Public Tenders presented to the Government
The position of the Platform for Transparent Public Tenders was presented to Prime Minister Peter Necas and Minister for Regional Development Kamil Jankovsky. In its position the Platform reiterate that the amendment, as proposed by the Ministry for Regional Development in August, should take effect as of January 1 2012. Any other additional changes should not reduce the level of transparency and efficiency set by the ministerial proposal and dillute its impact. The position of the Platform is available here (in Czech).
October 07, 2011
Update: Draft amendment Act on Public Procurement in the Chamber of Deputies
Documents, articles, interviews are available on the Platform website. Major documents are attached bellow.
October 04, 2011
Committee for Labor and Social Affairs discusses JIM
AmCham Committee for Labor and Social Affairs met October 3 to discuss the latest proposals of the Ministry of Finance related to the introduction of the so-called JIM/Single Collection Point from the employer/employee perspective.
September 23, 2011
Minutes of the Business Immigration Working Group meeting with ministerial representatives
Members of the working group discussed outline of the new immigration act and intra-corporate transfer of employees at a session on September 1 with guests from the Ministrz of the Interior and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
September 01, 2011
Labor Code Commttee/Committee for Labor and Social Affairs meeting minutes
Labor Code Commttee/Committee for Labor and Social Affairs met August 31 to discuss current developments related to the Labor Code Amendment - debated in the Chamber of Deputies -and set agenda for the upcoming period.
September 01, 2011
AmCham comments on Ministry of the Interior's draft business immigration proposal
AmCham Business Immigration Working Group met to debate with representatives of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs over new regulation of 3rd country nationals' residence in the Czech Republic and intra-corporate transfers of employees. A position on the material proposal of a new foreigners' residence act is being finalized.
August 11, 2011
AmCham letter addressing Act on Health Insurance Amendment
AmCham expressed concerns that the social and economic impact of the package of health care reforms currently being debated, especially the Act on Health Insurance, has not been sufficiently studied and suggested that their passage be delayed until their impact could be better defined.
August 05, 2011
Thesis of Act on Interpreters available for comments
The Ministry of Justice have drafted a material proposal aiming at the improvement of current regulation of interpreters and judicial experts.
AmCham members are invited to submit their comments by August 22, 2011.
August 03, 2011
AmCham to Comment on Thesis of New Immigration Act
AmCham members are invited to comment on the Ministry of the Interior's thesis of a new act on foreigners' residence in the Czech Republic.
Send us your comments by August 19, 2011.
August 02, 2011
Update on Tax Reform: JIM proposal incl. AmCham comments submitted to the Government
Finance Ministry's draft proposal that should reform direct taxes and provide for the introduction of the so-called Single Collection Point (JIM - Jedno inkasní místo, a unified system of administration of tax and social security payments.) went through the external round of comments and was submitted to the Government. AmCham comments have been included in the discussion.
June 21, 2011
Health Care Committee to draft an action plan in summer
Health Care Committee met to discuss priorities of the working group for the upcoming period. A core working group was set up to draft an action plan for the committee in summer.
June 15, 2011
Presentation on Draft Competitiveness Strategy 2012-2020 available
AmCham members discussed new draft competitiveness strategy of the Ministry of Industry and Trade with Martin Tlapa, Deputy Minister responsible for the EU and international competitiveness of the Czech Republic. English version of the presentation is available.
A number of issues were raised in the Q&A part of the session (attached).
Send your views and comments to kbendikova@amcham.cz by June 24.