In private conversations and during discussions at parliamentary committees, people's deputies express unanimous support of the idea of ​​expanding the land powers of amalgamated hromadas throughout all their territory, including land outside the settlement boundaries. In the near future, this support should be reflected in the voting for the relevant draft laws in the session hall.

That was stated by Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, on the air of the Ukrainian Radio.

He reminded that nowadays all lands outside the settlements are centrally under the  StateGeoCadastre – a structure that belongs to the executive branch. This leads to situations when, for example, a developer appears on the territory of the AH and starts to work there, but the hromada does not even know about it. "What kind of investment attraction, implementation of strategic hromadas plans can we speak about in these circumstances? Without changing this system, we will deprive hromadas of enormous opportunities for development," believes Vyacheslav Nehoda.

According to him, the longer the decision on the transfer of land to the jurisdiction of the amalgamated hromadas is delayed, the more problems arise in these hromadas. "With no powers to influence all their lands, hromadas will not be able to develop a scheme for planning the territory, develop infrastructure, roads, water supply and sewage, and implement other important complex projects. Under such conditions, it is difficult for them to earn money independently, create jobs, effectively plan their development for the improvement of the residents' lives," said Vyacheslav Nehoda.

He reminded that the government draft law 7118 on disposal of land resources within the territory of amalgamated hromadas solves this problem.

"This draft law provides for a clear distribution of land powers between local self-government bodies and the state, ie the executive branch. With its adoption, everyone will tackle their own tasks: the hromada will develop its own territories, and the state will control the lawfulness of land decisions ", emphasised the First Deputy Minister.

He also informed that a group of people’s deputies proposed an alternative draft law 7118-1. "It also solves this problem, but is burdened by other norms, which, in the opinion of our Ministry and most experts, can lead to the fact that the process of decentralisation in the land field will be delayed for years," says the First Deputy Minister.

Vyacheslav Nehoda also reminded that over 200 AHs have already applied to the people’s deputies with official letters containing a request to adopt the draft law 7118.

"I hope the Parliament will support this draft law. It is logical, meets the requirements of the AHs and people's deputies, who have already adopted many important decentralisation laws, understand it and should support it. Otherwise, this is not simply a failure by the state to fulfill its obligations before the hromadas, it is a significant slowdown of their development,"  Vyacheslav Nehoda emphasised.

The audio record of the conversation can be found HERE