Decentralisation gives a clear positive signal to the investor. With the reform, we moved away from the Soviet attitude to the settlement, and now the hromadas and people, who have changed mentally, who develop, seek to attract investments and live according to the democratic European principles of governance are the centre of attention. We want to create absolutely equal business conditions in our country, said Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, during the 14th annual investment Dragon Capital conference.

“Currently, there are 722 AHs formed in Ukraine. These are not just new territorial units. AHs are the points of economic growth with a new high-quality management and resources. Hromadas’ leaders are managers interested in attracting foreign investment, which means primarily the payment of taxes, filling of local budgets and creation of infrastructure projects. Therefore, investors and hromadas need to develop and implement joint investment route maps – there are powers, funds and resources for this,” said Hennadii Zubko.

He stressed that now there are more than enough financial capacities on the ground. “Last year local budget revenues reached UAH 192 billion. The share of local budgets with transfers in the consolidated budget of Ukraine increased in 2017 up to 51.2%, compared with 2014 (35%) – this is a tremendous growth never ever experienced by Ukraine. All of these funds, present on the ground, should work for the same purpose: to increase the regional human potential development index (health, longevity, access to healthcare, education, comfortable living space) and the regional competitiveness index (economy, investment, business development). These are two indicators we now use to assess the development of the regions,” said Hennadii Zubko.