MinRegion has released new data on the monitoring of the decentralisation process and reforming of local self-government. The effectiveness of oblasts’ work in the formation of amalgamated hromadas in terms of quantitative indicator of the population living in the AH territories in relation to the total population of the oblast is the innovative approach to the study of the reform’s implementation. Such indicator clearly reflects the real state of formation of capable hromadas in the oblast and clearly shows the number of citizens, who managed to take advantage of the results of the reform, and who face this path blocked by local authorities, reported Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, commenting on the monitoring data.

"We are constantly investigating the process of formation of the territorial basis of local self-government, decentralisation process, and, in this context, the implementation of the tasks of sectoral reforms. The sooner we will form a capable hromada, the faster we will move with other reforms, in particular sectoral and, especially, such a complex one as a healthcare reform. Self-government bodies can provide high-quality services to citizens and ensure the sustainable development of the respective territories only within the bounds of capable hromadas. Additional opportunities are open for the cities of oblast significance and their neighbouring hromadas with the entry into force of the law on voluntary accession. Thus, we move from quantitative indicators to qualitative ones. The parameter that shows the number of hromadas formed in one oblast or another, temporarily remains, but it is no longer a priority," explained Vyacheslav Nehoda.

The Zhytomyr Oblast keeps the leading position. Already 37.2% of the population from the total population of the oblast live in AHs of this region. In the Khmelnytskyi Oblast, the number of residents living in AHs is 36.7%, in the Chernihiv Oblast it makes up 35.6%, in the Ternopil Oblast – 32%, in the Chernivtsi Oblast – 31.3%. Instead, in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, one of the leaders of the reforms, only 15.1% of the population live in AHs. Though it should be borne in mind that in the industrial oblasts most of the residents live in large cities. Therefore, establishment of AHs around cities through accession of neighbouring hromadas will significantly change the dynamics of AH formation.

"These data will help the regions to determine further directions for the implementation of the reform tasks. In general, 18% of the population live on the territory of amalgamated hromadas, however, almost 50% are the population of cities of oblast significance, and 33% - the population of rural and settlement hromadas, towns of rayon significance have not been involved in the process of forming capable hromadas so far. Therefore, currently it is not the high time to get calmed down, as there are plenty of more difficult tasks ahead. But those having a passive stance, who are still waiting, deprive their hromadas of development prospects," said the First Deputy Minister.

The Monitoring of the Decentralisation and Local Self-Government Reform Process as of 10 May 2018 is available HERE