The draft amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine regarding decentralisation are planned to be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in November. They are expected to be adopted in February 2020. This was announced by Alyona Babak, Minister of Development of Communities and Territories, at a meeting with representatives of the All-Ukrainian Association of Village and Settlement Councils and the Association ofAmalgamated Hromadas.

Alyona Babak briefly outlined the key changes that need to be made to the Basic Law and which will become a reliable legal basis for omnipresent and capable local self-government. The meeting also covered the topics of standardising the issues of the three-tier administrative-territorial structure (hromada, district, region), ensuring the omnipresence of local self-government, activities of the prefect's institute, etc.

The Minister assured of maintaining the principle of voluntariness in the process of hromadas’ amalgamation. However, she recalled that hromadas amalgamate to enhance their capacity to address all local issues, provide quality and accessible services to their residents. Therefore, according to Alyona Babak, it is important for MinRegion to rely on local self-government associations that are aware of hromadas’ issues and are a powerful communication link between hromadas and the Government.

She called on the associations to send MinRegion a sound analysis of the problems that prevent hromadas from amalgamation and development, emphasising that this would form the basis of further Government decisions.

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