The team of experts on decentralisation is expanded. Regional experts on local finance completed their training in Kyiv. Their functions will include giving advisory opinions and providing practical assistance to the amalgamated territorial communities on the matters of budget preparation and its fulfilment, carrying out an analysis and calculations of financial capacity of prospective communities intending to amalgamate with or accede to the already existing communities.  It was so informed by Yanina Kaziuk, Financial Decentralisation Coordinator of the Central Office for Reforms at the Ministry of Regional Development.

"We carried out a rather informative workshop for the experts on local finance who will now provide advice in regions and in communities regarding the preparation of budgets, carrying out calculations of financial capacity of prospective communities, as well as regarding other matters related to the efficiency of local budgets fulfilment. They will become good helpmates at the local level in terms of fulfilling tasks pertaining to the reform of local self-government", Yanina Kaziuk specified.

The experts on local finance will work at the regional Centres of Local Self-Government Development, that are opened in all regions with the assistance of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme.

During the workshop, the results and prospects of financial decentralisation were discussed, the methodology of appraisal and criteria for determining financial capacity of the amalgamated territorial communities were presented.

Experts from the Financial Monitoring Team of the Central Office for Reforms at the Ministry of Regional Development paid special attention to the matters of advantages of the amalgamated territorial communities, sources of revenues for local budgets, opportunities for communities, expenditure powers of the bodies of local self-government, in particular, of the amalgamated territorial communities, and procedures for calculation of inter-budget transfers.

In addition to theoretical treatment, the participants of the workshop carried out practical training exercises in determining financial capacity of prospective amalgamated communities.

The speakers of the workshop also included Director of the Department of Local Self-Government and Territorial Structure of Power of the Ministry of Regional Development Serhii Sharshov and expert on decentralisation Yurii Hanushchak.

Reference information:

The workshop was organized with the support by the U-LEAD with Europe:  Ukraine Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development Programme