Continuation of the local self-government reform implies enshrining in the Constitution of already achieved maximum hromada’s self-sufficiency and their accountability, primarily to local residents, said Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman at a meeting with the AH heads of the Poltava Oblast.

The meeting took place in the city of Pyriatyn, which became the AH centre in the “first wave” of amalgamation – in 2015. Now the hromada’s population is about 17 thousand people. It has 617 hectares of land outside settlements, and its annual volume of direct subvention for development is about 1 million UAH. The AH maintains the Administrative Service Centre, which provides about 200 various services, including the “mobile office” format, social infrastructure facilities and the local hub institution – the Pyriatyn Lyceum. The lyceum actively implements comprehensive physical education policy, in addition to the standards of the New Ukrainian School. At the expense of the hromada, oblast budget and the government programme for the development of school sports grounds, a swimming pool, activity rooms, and martial arts hall were built in the school.

The Head of Government visited both the ASC and the lyceum. He talked to the hromada residents and responded to their questions – in particular related to the continuation of reforms, local self-government strengthening, pension provision and prospects for further pension reform, as well as maintaining the social service network at rayon councils.

Addressing the AH heads, the Head of Government, in particular, noted that he tries to visit hromadas in each region to make sure that decentralisation works.

“We have created a new system that has made hromadas stronger. This is an obvious fact. Another question is – what's next? I believe that the most important thing is the preservation of decentralisation, creation of a system that will enshrine hromadas’ right to funds and powers, their maximum self-sufficiency and accountability, first of all, to their own residents,” said Volodymyr Groysman.

He stressed that since 2014 he has seen his task in the legislative support of hromadas’ capacity and construction of a new territorial structure of the country.

“Now it is necessary to enshrine the omnipresence of local self-government and financial capability of AHs in the Constitution,” said Volodymyr Groysman.

He urged hromada leaders to join discussion of the Government’s draft law on amendments to the Constitution, and also reminded the Government's initiative to grant small cities the AH status – for their comprehensive development, provided by decentralisation.