Member of Parliament (MP) Viren Kotai has proposed a fee to fast-track permits (see related story) issued by the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI. He argued that 662 of 1,111 applications -more than half- remain pending since 2021.
According to the Democratic Party (DP) faction member this system would allow applicants to pay for quicker administrative processing within a defined time frame. It could thus help address the backlog while creating a legitimate and transparent service for those who require faster processing.
He added that the 449 no-longer-pending applications should not automatically be described as permits issued. Some could have been denied, withdrawn or otherwise closed.
Kotai said the trend was particularly concerning, with the pending rate increasing from 33.2% in 2022 to 38.8% in 2023, 65.1% in 2024, 79.2% in 2025 and 96.8% thus far in 2026. He questioned whether this backlog could realistically be resolved at the current pace.
Although his idea seems practical and one understands the reasoning, it does raise a question. Should people be able to get what may be considered preferential treatment because they can afford the extra cost?
If the answer is no, such a scenario is best avoided.
