BUSINESS

Government of Region Has Lowered

Debt and Enhanced Investments

Jaroslav Kania is the deputy governor responsible for investments in the region. His experience

in finance and investments in public administration comes from his long-term job as a  bursar

of Silesian University in Opava. In his free time, he runs a ski school and finds relaxation in riding

a quad bike.

Mr Kania, just like a family, even the government

of a region needs to run balanced accounts. And, just

as a family invests in its children, the government

of a region undoubtedly invests in its citizens. What

are the priorities of our region?

The region’s priorities range across all fields. When

starting their mandate, the government of the region

defined their priorities for the period in education,

culture, health and social care. I can say that these

priorities have been met. As for investments, in 2016,

some 416 million CZK was invested in these fields;

in 2020 the budget is 1,684 million CZK, which is

four times bigger. The region’s economic priority was

to lower the debt, and we have been successful in that,

too, despite complications resulting from COVID-19

pandemic. Debts are definitely not increasing.

It is difficult to foresee the development in the years

to come: the new government of the region will have

to find a strategy to maintain the tempo of investments

and the quality of life of the local population.

Significant investments in the region include the

construction of an integrated centre in Český Těšín,

worth 190 million CZK. I feel very happy that the

government of the region achieved the priority

targets, including workshops in the Frýdek-Místek

Secondary School and the development of the

Masaryk Secondary School of Agriculture and School

Farm in Opava.

Education is a logical field of your interest: you

were a bursar at Silesian University in Opava

for years. The government of the region is responsible

for secondary schools, among others: how smart is

the region when investing in modern equipment for

schools?

The question is how to interpret “smart.” Besides small

investments in equipment for secondary schools,

the modernization of technologies and purchasing

cutting-edge machinery, we have invested in smart

solutions in energy-savings and other concepts.

In 2020, regardless of the current issues, our budget in

education is 600 million CZK. That is enough finance

to cover two principal projects, the first of which

is the workshops in the Frýdek-Místek Secondary

School, construction of which has already begun.

The facility and technologies represent the total sum

of 260 million CZK. Since 2016, we have already

invested eighty-eight million CZK in another major

project, the Masaryk Secondary School of Agriculture

and School Farm in Opava, to build new classrooms

and greenhouses and to prepare infrastructure

for new stables. The total sum is going to reach up

to 300 million CZK.

Life is more than money; it also demands a good

place and means of relaxation. How do you enjoy

your leisure?

I prefer four-wheeled relaxation, that is my great

hobby. I love morning rides with my quad bike.

Then I am back home, fresh and easy, at 7:30 and

make my family breakfast. When I have the time,

I help my son run a skiing and snowboarding school

in Tošovice. We were among the first here who went

skating. I also like cycling, and even though my bike

is not electric (yet), it brings me great pleasure. And

let’s not forget the garden, my wellness centre, a fine

relaxation zone.

Thank you for the interview.

Text:

Vít Ruprich

Foto:

archiv MSK

www.msk.cz

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