Author: Ivan Lukerya, expert of Decentralisation Group of the Reanimation Package of Reforms, specially for the “Ukrayinska Pravda”

The results of the Fourth All-Ukrainian Municipal Survey of the International Republican Institute show that the mayors have a positive balance of trust of 13%.

The assessment of the development of cities is also positive: 38% of the members of urban hromadas believe that things in the city are moving in the right direction.

The growth of trust in local self-government has become possible due to decentralisation – the reform, which is one of the few showing positive results.

However, the legal framework of the reform is a prerequisite for economic growth and trust to the government.

What needs to be done to continue decentralisation?

First of all, professional service in the local self-government bodies.

The Parliament has a chance to give a quietus to the reform of the public service by adopting draft law No 2489 "On Service in Local Self-Government Bodies" already on 3 April.

Secondly, it is extremely important to recognise the cities of oblast significance as capable hromadas.

It is done by draft law No 6466 "On Amendments to the Law On Voluntary Amalgamation of Hromadas” on voluntary accession of hromadas of villages and settlements to hromadas of cities of oblast significance.

Consideration of the draft law is also scheduled for 3 April.

Moreover, all myths about the city's absorption of villages and, as a result, their disappearance, has nothing to do with reality. The Tyachivska urban amalgamated hromada is a striking example, which in the past three years has invested more than UAH 10 million in the development of the accessed village (and that is only infrastructure development).

Thirdly, it is critically important to reform areas that are not capable in their present form.

The first step for this is the adoption of draft law No 6636 on the procedure for the formation, liquidation, establishment and change of rayon boundaries. Already today, 16 rayons are completely covered by AHs.

The Verkhovna Rada may consider all these draft laws already on 3 April.

The whole list of all draft laws necessary for decentralisation is available HERE.

The full version is available in Ukrainian – please click HERE