Despite the emergency situation declared in the State for several months due to the spread of COVID-19, the work of the State Construction Control Bureau (SCCB) has even intensified. In the first half of 2020, the use of the Building Information System (BIS) has significantly increased, as well as the first results have been achieved in the monitoring of the field energy.
The volumes of work have risen with regard to the control of operation of public structures, and also certification of construction specialists in the speciality of expertise has actively taken place, and monitoring of independent practice of certified experts has been implemented.
“Despite the different challenges facing us in the first six months of this year, the SCCB has been able to ensure continuity of its operation and even managed to increase volumes of work in almost all areas of its operation. In August, the first round of the BIS project will be completed, but we are already working on further development of the System. One of the Bureau’s priorities in the coming years in the construction sector will be to ensure public availability of information regarding technical condition of all structures located in the territory of Latvia, as well as to develop an automated algorithm for calculation of the level of risk of a structure. With the help of these data each supervising authority will be able to efficiently implement risk-based supervision of the operation of structures, while residents will be able to obtain information freely regarding technical condition of their property. As always, we also expect support from the sector in order to organise these processes properly,” explains Svetlana Mjakuškina, Director of the SCCB.
The first main tasks accomplished in the administration of the energy policy
In the first half of 2020, structural changes have occurred within the SCCB. As regards the monitoring of the field of energy which the Bureau took over in January 2020, four new divisions have been established, and 30 new positions have been added to the staff list. Thus in the first six months a strong emphasis has been put on taking over the new functions from the Ministry of Economics and initiating monitoring. One of such is the control of the mechanism of mandatory procurement (MP) of electricity which is implemented by the SCCB in two ways – on site and through examination of the documents submitted by companies. Over this period, the MP Control Group established by the Bureau has carried out 20 first-time on-site inspections in power plants. The SCCB has issued 24 warnings to merchants regarding discrepancies identified during the on-site inspections. Most of them are related to the non-compliance of the operation of a power plant with the requirements laid down in laws and regulations regarding the field of energy. In considering the annual reports submitted by power plants, in turn, 15 warnings have been issued, mainly regarding the failure to submit reports in a timely manner and the failure to ensure self-consumption. The Bureau has taken 10 decisions to revoke the right granted, thus saving the State an amount of 14.63 million EUR in the planned period of aid.
In carrying out the function which envisages to administer State emergency stocks of oil, five checks have been conducted in order to make sure of the necessary amount of emergency stocks under the contracts entered into. No discrepancies have been established. A procurement procedure has also been launched for the provision of the service of State emergency stocks of oil for 2021. It is expected to procure 370 thousand tonnes of oil which is equivalent to 90 days of the total oil imports. The relevant amount of oil will be required in the event of an energy crisis or national threat.
Since the beginning of this year, 1,334 merchants, i. e. the large electricity consumers, have fallen within the competence of the SCCB. Pursuant to the Energy Efficiency Law, these organisations are obliged to implement and maintain a certified energy management system, as well as supplement and certify an existing environmental management system in order to control and reduce energy consumption or ensure an energy audit of a company on a regular basis. The Bureau has received 44 reports from merchants with regard to the implementation of these measures.
According to the data of the Central Statistical Bureau, there are 248 large companies in Latvia which have started fulfilling their obligations to the SCCB since the beginning of this year. Namely, the large companies are obliged to perform an energy audit on a regular basis or implement a certified energy management system or environmental management system which ensures continuous control and reduction of energy consumption. Over the first six months, 20 large companies have reported to the SCCB on these measure.
The Bureau also invites other large electricity consumers and large companies to submit, by 1 November this year, annual reports on the measures implemented in order to improve energy efficiency.
More enhanced supervision of the operation of buildings
The SCCB also successfully carries out its initial function – to ensure control of construction work taking place in public structures of the third group. In the first six months, the control of construction work has been performed on 412 sites which is approximately the same number as that in the relevant period a year before. Discrepancies are still identified in 40 % cases of control. They are most often related to the changes in a building design affecting mechanical strength and stability of bearing constructions of a structure.
Over the first half of the year, 508 checks have been conducted within the framework of supervision of the operation of public buildings which is 35 % more than in the same period a year before. In 19 cases the checks have been performed in response to complaints about possible hazard or unauthorised construction. In analysing opinions drawn up within the framework of control of the operation of buildings, it can be concluded that in 50 % of cases owners of buildings have still failed to carry out a periodic technical inspection of a building, although most of them were supposed to do it by 30 September 2019.
It should be recalled that the Bureau performs a function of a building authority with regard to the structures necessary for the needs of the Ministry of Defence, its subordinate institutions and the National Armed Forces, as well as to the transmission lines which have been granted the status of an object of national interest. As regards such structures, the number of decisions taken has reduced almost twice as a result of the end of the period of construction of transmission line projects.
Increased number of the BIS users, construction cases and consultations
Year 2020 will go down in history of the BIS due to both the fact that the use of the system has become mandatory and several significant improvements of functionality of the BIS. The System enables authentication of foreign construction specialists and managers of real estate – non-residents, ensures electronic maintenance of information characterising requirements for the compliance of construction products, and integrates new registers, such as the Register of Energy Auditors of Enterprises and the Register of Energy Reports of Enterprises. As the number of users increases, the number of consultations provided by the BIS Support Service has increased five times, also the number of users has increased by 52 % and the number of construction cases has increased by 28 %. The 1st round of the project “Development of the construction process and information system” co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund is expected to end in August this year, however, some preparations for the 2nd stage of the project are already taking place.
More construction experts in the State
Over the first six months of the year, 14 applications have been received for obtaining a certificate in the speciality of construction expertise, out of which 13 applications have resulted in the issue of a certificate. A total of 163 certified construction experts has been subject to the first-time inspection of independent practice. During these inspections no significant breaches have been established, however, 79 % of the construction experts have failed to update information regarding the measures taken to develop their competence. In the last half of the year, four expertise-examinations prepared by construction specialists have been assessed in more depth on the basis of information received with regard to possible breaches of professional activity, and six decisions have been taken within the framework of the supervision of independent practice to suspend a certificate temporarily. Five of these decisions are based on submissions of construction specialists themselves, while one – on significant breaches of professional activity of a construction expert.
Information prepared by:
Elīna Balgalve
Public Relations Specialist of the State Construction Control Bureau
E-mail: Elina.Balgalve@bvkb.gov.lv, telephone: 67013320