The Sumy Oblast demonstrates activity in the process of reforming local self-government and territorial organisation of power. If at the beginning of the reform, in 2015, only one amalgamated hromada (AH) was established in the oblast, then as of 1 January 2018, 28 AHs have been formed there. This suggests that both the population of the region and the authorities understand the importance and necessity of implementation of decentralisation tasks, largely aimed at improving the quality of basic services for the population, local economic development and improving the well-being of people, stated Oksana Harnets, head of the Swiss-Ukrainian Project “Decentralisation Support in Ukraine” (DESPRO) during her working visit to the Sumy Oblast.

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