Perhaps the situation in Smila, as in an individual city, should not be put as an issue for discussion at the Governmental meeting. But state’s priority are the person and Ukrainian families, who still remain being deprived of heating. These are the cities of Smila and Shepetivka, where local self-government, having the funds and opportunities, is obliged to engage and provide high-quality services to its citizens, emphasised Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, at the Governmental meeting.

According to the official, on 15 November, Eduard Kruhlyak, Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, together with the Deputy Head of Naftogaz, plan to attend the session of the Smila City Council to help with the decision on heat supply in the city.

“The Government does not like the situation when UAH 10 million were allocated as bonuses for the city council employees, while the city authorities could not find the means to pay off the debt for heat supply. Local deputies were searching for the funds to ensure the timely start of the heating season for three months. It is about UAH 15 million. But at the same time, the funds were found to pay bonuses to the employees of the Smila City Council’s for the intensity of work, for work tensions. Bonus of UAH 5 million was also allocated for the socio-cultural sector. Therefore, I have a question: Are the funds allocated to the city level effectively distributed? I believe that they are not,” Hennadii Zubko said.

The Vice Prime Minister said that deputies of the Verkhovna Rada have already registered the resolution on re-elections in Smila, as well as criminal proceedings against the irresponsible position of the Smila city authorities and untimely start of the heating season have been instigated. Hennadii Zubko stressed the necessity of adopting the law on state supervision of decisions of local self-government bodies.

“People need to receive frank and sincere information that they do not have heating, because some responsible leaders of cities did not get up early, did not wake up at the right time, and having received funds in time, they did not do what was required of them – did not timely provide the heat supply. Therefore, I once again call for responsibility at the local level. I want to assure that those instigated criminal proceedings will be brought to court, both in regard to the negligence of local self-government leadership, and regarding funds’ stealing on their way to heating energy sector,” Hennadii Zubko emphasised.