Decentralisation will continue and be successfully completed soon. This is indisputable, because it is supported at all levels, it is demanded by people. We should talk now not about the reform itself, legislative support, institutional and international support, but about what the hromadas will be as a result. Since hromadas will bring about most changes people need. And it is important that these changes are rapid and qualitative.

This was stated by Vyacheslav Nehoda, Deputy Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, during a discussion at the Ukrainian Crisis Media Centre.

According to him, next year the whole territory of Ukraine will be covered by capable hromadas – urban, rural, settlement ones. They will have the same sources of revenue as there will be no more intermediaries between them and the state budget. All hromadas will have the same status and provide the same list of services to their residents. And the level of these services should not differ substantially in cities and villages.

“In order to deliver quality service to people, the hromada must have at least adequate infrastructure. We will focus exactly on the prospects for accessible infrastructure development, on hromada’s ability to assume powers, while completing creation of perspective plans of capable hromadas that will form the basis of the new administrative and territorial structure,” Vyacheslav Nehoda said.

He also noted that in the coming years, the role of residents in the development of their cities and villages should increase significantly. “People should not only be able to form self-government bodies – elect a hromada head and a local council – but also effectively influence them, participate in difficult decision-making. I am sure we will create these opportunities. It is important that people want to take advantage of the opportunities in order for them to feel responsibility for the future of their hromada, realise it is no longer possible to put it on the shoulders of any impersonal authority from the rayon, oblast or ministry, and that changes are to be made right now and by everyone of us,” Vyacheslav Nehoda said.​​