The Government of Ukraine has been committed to the fundamental idea of ​​the reform of local self-government, namely formation of capable hromadas and thus creation of new development opportunities both for the regions and for the country as a whole, stated Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman at the General Meeting of the Association of Amalgamated Hromadas.

The Head of Government reminded that the very idea of ​​decentralisation and changes in the management system on the ground have been announced by him since 2006. However, the existing vertical power structure at that time was unable not only to implement, but even accept all developments. “And it is the reason of the collapsed healthcare, educational infrastructure, ruined roads. It dissatisfies people,” said Volodymyr Groysman. “Change in the very system (which started in 2014) gave new opportunities.”

According to the Head of Government, Ukraine has passed the first decentralisation phase – i.e. hromadas formation. Now there is a need for the next phase, that will ensure the irreversibility and steadfastness of the reform, will provide access of 100% of the Ukrainian population to new opportunities.

“And this task we have to be solved not in 10 years, but in 2020,” said the Head of Government. “We need to do everything in order to enshrine omnipresence of self-government in the Constitution of Ukraine, to clearly define the distribution of powers according to subsidiarity principle, financial security guarantees. We need a new law on service in local self-government bodies, better coordination of local authorities. We have a plan to be completed by 2020. And then, after the local elections, we will get a new system protected by the Constitution, which will have a new, capable territorial basis with established financial security guarantees, effectively built state control. The same tasks include local democracy development. We will not move anywhere without ever checking our watches with people’s thoughts. Billions of hryvnias concentrated in local budgets must be used effectively.”

The Prime Minister stressed that hromadas’ cohesion around the reform continuation is very timely.

“We are committed to the idea of capable hromadas’ formation, and hence creation of new development opportunities. Why are we implementing decentralisation? For a new quality of services and life of citizens,” said Vladimir Groisman. “I want us to create a new quality of education, healthcare, infrastructure and a new quality of the economy. Effective local self-government is the basis for effective achievement of goals.”