“The issue of local governing and decentralization of power is currently very important (for the authorities) both from the point of view of proper governing system, and from the point of view of realization of communities’ abilities.”
This was said by Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman at a meeting of the Board of the Association of Ukrainian Cities on Thursday, April 16.
“This is of top-priority in my work. I am confident that we will change nothing unless we create effective governing system. We would fail to succeed in education, health care, economy should we fail to adjust comprehensive work of territorial communities,” he noted.
The Head of the Verkhovna Rada informed that the Constitutional Commission had started its work and noted that such fundamental principles as ubiquity of local governing, financial self-sufficiency and subsidiarity during delegation of authorities should be enshrined at the constitutional level. Groysman expressed opinion that in the process of the work over constitutional amendments “the importance of decentralization of power” will be understood “by all participants of the political process.”
The Head of the Verkhovna Rada noted that the introduction of amendments into the Constitution will ensure inevitability of reforms, inter alia the decentralization of power.
He also informed about the first steps as to the decentralization of power, and pointed the growth of inflows to local budgets. He noted that this year “we have managed to replenish the oblast development fund by UAH 3 billion.”
He informed that in January-March 2015, over UAH 5 billion was additionally delivered to local budgets, which is an increment of 35%. Over the year, the growth in revenues of local budgets will make up about UAH 40 billion.
According to the Head of the Verkhovna Rada, the legislative steps have been made in financial decentralization, the Law on voluntary unification of territorial communities has been passed, and that the Law on return of functions of architectural and construction control to local authorities has been adopted. “The powers of city planning will comprehensively be passed to local self-government bodies, which is also very important in formation of city policy on development of communities,” Groysman noted.
Speaking about further plans for support to the decentralization of power at the legislative level, Groysman said that soon it is planned to “consider the Law on municipal police,” draft laws on service at local self-government bodies, on administrative services, as well as it is also planned to introduce amendments into the land Law.
Groysman assured that the Parliament will not approve the laws that may narrow rights of local self-government bodies. “We will develop and perfect the systems we have today. We have to develop and protect what we have already done,” he said.