Our goal, while implementing the decentralisation reform and projects, is not to "decorate" the existing state of things, but to change the quality of service delivery in education, healthcare, administrative and safety services, emphasised Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, during the teleconference with the oblasts.

According to the official, compared to 2014, the state support for hromadas’ development and development of their infrastructure in 2018 increased by 39 times. And this is a matter of supporting infrastructure funded through the SFRD – education, healthcare, road infrastructure. It also includes a subvention for the socio-economic development of AHs, healthcare development in the rural areas, funding of sports infrastructure and support to sectoral policies.

"It is very difficult for the state, currently facing Russian military aggression in the east, to support all payments for the region's infrastructure in the amount of 51% of the general fund of the state budget. I emphasise that the money transferred to the ground should be effectively directed at the priorities defined in the development strategies of the state, regions and the needs of hromadas – improvement of social infrastructure, roads, life support systems, etc.," said Hennadii Zubko.

According to the Vice Prime Minister, in 2018 five priority projects have been identified. MinRegion has already elaborated recommendations for their implementation – establishment of modern ASCs, New Educational Space, Citizens' Safety Centres, modern outpatient clinics, and recently added direction of children's family homes.