MinRegion has drafted a law on the status of highland settlements and provision of additional state guarantees to them, approved by the Government, emphasised Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, commenting on the approval of the Government's draft law "On Amendments to Some Laws of Ukraine on Sustainable Development and Creation of New Jobs in Mountain and Highland Settlements".

According to him, the criterion to classify mountain settlements as highland ones is the location of the whole settlement or its part with over one third of residents at an altitude of at least 600 metres above sea level.

“Increased indices in calculation of the size of healthcare and educational subventions, measures for coastal protection, water supply and construction of sewage treatment facilities, as well as elaborated and financed state programmes for stimulating the development of transport and social infrastructure, business development, employment level increase, improvement of the ecological situation, etc. will be provided for the mountain and highland settlements,” said Hennadii Zubko.

According to him, it is also proposed to amend the Land Code and the Law “On Industrial Parks” to reduce the size of the land plot for creation of an industrial park from 15 to 10 hectares for the mountain and highland areas. “It will allow to start production and create new jobs in these areas. It is an opportunity to integrate these territories into economic processes in Ukraine, create transport infrastructure, provide jobs, and simplify the conditions for the establishment of new production sites.”

Hennadii Zubko earlier stressed the need to introduce changes in the methodology of establishment of capable hromadas for the Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi and Zakarpattya Oblasts, where the landscape and living conditions differ from other regions. He also initiated cooperation with the Austrian experts experienced in working with mountain population in terms of attracting investments to these areas, tourism development, access to education and other services.