The Head of Government stressed that the first stage of the reform has taken place, and that today the local authorities have all powers and necessary financial resource. “Now we have to sign a Memorandum with all the actors (of the decentralisation reform) and representatives of local self-government. We also have to shape a clear action plan, that will be not just slogans but commitments,” he underlined.Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman proposes to sign a Memorandum, which will become a blueprint for further actions within the framework of the decentralisation reform launched in 2014. The Head of Government voiced a relevant incentive during the 2nd All-Ukrainian Forum of Amalgamated Hromadas on Life-Changing Initiatives. The forum was held with the support of the Government of Ukraine withthe participation of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy.

He expressed his gratitude to the President of Ukraine, people’s deputies and international partners for their leadership in the reform, and emphasised that changes have already enabled building of another model of state governance based on the implementation of people’s initiatives. And further actions include the formation of a normative base on the administrative-territorial set-up, and creation of a system of full self-government based on amalgamated hromadas.

“Our ultimate aim is a widespread local self-government with self-sufficient and strong hromadas. We have to draw up a sustainable development strategy, founded on a strong local self-government, focused on the citizens and their needs. At present, our core objective is to ensure the decentralisation reform is included in the reforms’ agenda, economic life of the country and economic growth,” said the Prime Minister.

Reference

At present, 665 amalgamated hromadas have been formed in Ukraine. The draft state budget for 2018 provides for the allocation of almost UAH 2 billion for the hromada  infrastructure. Besides, the revenue part of the local budget starting from 2018 will be replenished by the part of rent payments for subsoil usage – in addition to the existing sources of filling regional cost estimates. Several legislative initiatives aimed to ensure the further extension of the rights and opportunities of amalgamated hromadas, including those on the disposal of land resources and transfer of part of lease payments for land shares and land plots to local budgets are being discussed in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.