Ukrinform interviewed Serhiy Ivahkhnin, director of the Donetsk Local Government Development Centre, about the progress that amalgamated hromadas in the Donetsk Oblast are making. Experts of the Donetsk Local Government Development Centre, established with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme and MinRegion, joined the interview.

Millions for changes

Serhiy Ivakhnin was appointed as a director of the Donetsk Local Government Development Centre on 2 May 2019. However, since September 2017 he has been working within the team of the Donetsk Local Government Development Centre. He has received his experience as a local finance adviser. Therefore, the first question will deal with hromada’s funds.

- Ten AHs of the Donetsk Oblast received almost UAH 37 million of the state budget subvention. Will hromadas have time to use these funds?

- Yes, we have such confidence. This is the fourth year when the state has supported those who voluntarily created the AH, providing the infrastructure subvention. The amount of assistance is determined in proportion to the area of ​​the territory and the number of rural population, with an equal weight of both indicators. This year, the largest amount of the infrastructure subvention will be received by the Lymanska AH, the sum of which makes almost UAH 9.3 million. The next place in receiving money is occupied by the Oleksandrivska rural AH, with the sum of the subvention of more than UAH 6.3 million. The Soledarska urban AH has received from the state almost UAH 5.4 million, the Illinivska rural AH has got almost UAH 5.2 million. The smallest amount of the infrastructure subvention has been provided to the Zvanivska rural AH - UAH 1.2 million.

A step to deadline

- As you know, the Central Election Commission of Ukraine appointed the first elections in AHs to be held on 30 June. But this list did not include hromadas of the Donetsk Oblast. Meanwhile, the process of voluntary amalgamation for hromadas reaches its deadline.

- Yes, no hromada of the Donetsk Oblast will take part in the elections on 30 June, although all the relevant procedures have been completed, and people are looking forward to amalgamation. But this is not the latest election in AHs this year. We hope that the elections in the Donetsk Oblast will still take place in 2019, and the corresponding decision will be taken by the Central Election Commission in August, says Maxym Tkach, adviser on decentralisation of the Donetsk LGDC.

The full version is available in Ukrainian – please click HERE