The decentralisation is showing concrete results even now, as the experience of local communities proves. But the important thing is that this is not just an opportunity to get powers and funds but also the opportunity to build future for their communities with a new quality of life. That is why the territorial communities are actively amalgamating in Ukraine. It was said so by Vice-Prime Minister - Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Hennadii Zubko at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine when he presented the map of decentralisation in Ukraine.

"UAH 14 billion remaining in local budgets in this year allow the local communities to independently, without any intrusion on the part of the central bodies, determine the development strategy of their territories", emphasized the Vice-Prime Minister.

He noted that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine changed the list of investment programmes and projects on regional development that may be implemented in 2016 for account of the State Fund for Regional Development.

According to Hennadii Zubko, additional UAH 1.57 billion are channelled to finance 468 investment programmes and projects in 16 Oblasts (regions): Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Lviv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, and Chernihiv Oblasts.

According to Hennadii Zubko, UAH 2.58 billion out of UAH 3 billion provided for in the State Fund for Regional Development have been already channelled. "These funds are real investments in social and infrastructure projects in the territories of local communities. So, all funds appropriated should be distributed on a timely basis and invested in the development of regions", Hennadii Zubko underlined.

"We allow one week and then we will name the heads of administrations who fail to prepare the relevant documents in time. I recall that the Government has determined the key focus areas - educational and healthcare institutions, energy efficiency measures, local roads, and establishment of the Administrative Service Centres. If no developed projects are available in the regions for certain reasons, they may construct roads. Two weeks are enough to prepare a respective project, have it approved by the expertise, and obtain funds. These are simple things ensuring a concrete result thus changing the quality of a rural territory", Hennadii Zubko emphasized.

Reference information

On 8 June 2016, the Government approved the executive order "On Amendments to the List of Investment Programmes and Regional Development Projects which May be Implemented in 2016 for Account of the State Fund for Regional Development, Including Those Funded with the Aim of Repayment of Accounts Payable Registered by the Bodies of the State Treasury Service as of 1 January 2016". The draft document was prepared by the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine.

Among the 468 investment programmes and projects selected in 16 Oblasts (regions), the financing is approved for 165 educational (UAH 443 million), 61 water supply/ sanitation (UAH 181.5 million), 76 healthcare and social protection (UAH 370 million), 10 sports projects (UAH 23.6 million), 63 projects for facilities of traffic and transport infrastructure (UAH 305.5 million), 30 cultural sites (UAH 132.3 million), 37 projects pertaining to gas/ heating/ power consumption (UAH 62.4 million), and others.