In Kharkiv, representatives of the cities of oblast significance of Lozova, Pervomayskyi, Chuguyiv, Lyubotyn, rural and settlement hromadas, oblast administration, as well as experts of the central authorities, AUC and Local Government Development Centre, designed the models of development of hromadas of cities of oblast significance and their suburban rural areas.

The event was organised by the Project “Facilitating Dialogue on Reforms in Ukraine”, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, supported by the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, Association of Ukrainian Cities, Reform Office of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Kharkiv Local Government Development Centre of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme.

The benefits, voiced at the meeting, included budget revenues’ increase, investment potential growth, and hence the possibility of creating new jobs, improving the quality and accessibility of public services, modernisation and development of infrastructure of the surrounding areas. The common thread was the viewpoint on the access to the human potential of the city, which results in more effective management and executive functions. What hinders the process of hromadas’ accession to cities?

The audience called the threat of loss of power by the leadership of village and settlement councils, and loss of subjectivity of administrative-territorial units, among the reasons that keep rural hromadas from accession.

Besides, during the discussion the participants raised the problem of educational subvention calculating for the hromada, formed on the basis of the city of oblast significance and surrounding rural areas, which requires decisions at the level of central executive authorities.

The round table meeting resulted in general conclusion that cities of oblast significance and surrounding hromadas have a powerful joint potential, but they should speak with each other in the language of specified project proposals, form a vision of the future, rather than conjectural local political interests.

The full version is available in Ukrainian – please click HERE