Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, addressed Mykola Azarov, Prime Minister of Ukraine, after considering the results of the working visit to Zhytomyr region

Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, addressed Mykola Azarov, Prime Minister of Ukraine, after considering the results of the working visit to Zhytomyr region on Tuesday. 

The letter reads that this address is conditioned by the critical regional issues that can not be settled due to the lack or total absence of budget funding. It poses risks to the normal functioning of national economy, regional infrastructure, and technotronic security, and aggravates social tensions.

Having considered the issues raised by the local self-government officials, regional leaders, and ordinary public during the working visit, V.Lytvyn deems necessary to draw attention of the Head of the Government to several priority issues that require immediate response of the Cabinet of Ministers.  

First and foremost, it is construction of feed gas pipeline to provide a reliable gas supply to the region. At least 300 kilometers of feed gas pipeline shall run to the population centers that already have gas supply nets. Desiatyny-Staryi Bobryk-Oliivka feed gas pipeline, 46 kilometers in length, is of strategic importance for the regional economic and social development.

It is necessary to expand and boost the works on chemical amelioration (chalking) of agricultural lands. It is one of the key factors of land reclamation in the region: sour land in need of chalking occupies 55% of the total land. Such works used to be state-funded; however, as budgetary appropriations in Polissia area have been reduced to minimum, 13% of agricultural lands fell into disuse. Combined with other factors, it considerably reduces the producing capacity of lands.

The Head of the Parliament states that social security of victims of Chornobyl disaster is not regulated. Legal claims of such people is a mass phenomenon in the region. The courts usually satisfy the claims relying upon the decrees of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (of 26.07.96 №836, of 12.07.05 №562, of 20.04.07 №649).

These documents fix the particular rates of payments, not in the ratio to the minimum wage. However, the expenditures of the state budget do not include estimated expenses with account for the fixed payment rates, so "Chornobyl" accounts of budget administrators are blocked, while the funds are collected by enforcement. An award of costs of the court judgments total UAH 724,2 million so far, while the cases for UAH 1081,7 million are under scrutiny, and more than UAH 212 million on the accounts are blocked. 

Chornobyl construction program has not been funded recently, although Zhytomyr region is one of the regions that suffered from Chornobyl disaster the most. 7 districts of the northern part of the region sustained radiation pollution (4 cities, 16 townships, and 700 villages with the population of 370 thousand people). Social sphere and gas supply facilities were constructed in the territories not qualified as the compulsory evacuation areas within the governmental program in the years 1990-2000.

Implementation of the said program was gradually scaled down, while in the year 2007 its funding was suspended.

Health care sector in Zhytomyr region also has numerous problems. After Chornobyl disaster, the disease incidence in the region grew by 17,1%. More than a third of the sick live in the polluted territories.

The regional cancer detection centre has modern diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, but its premises are unfit for use. Construction of a surgery unit of the cancer detection centre should be included into the list of objects to be built at the expense of the state budget in the year 2011 (approximate cost of the construction works totals UAH 149,808 million, including UAH 30 million at the first stage).

Construction of a therapeutic unit of the regional TB dispensary with a capacity of 100 beds also requires budgetary support (approximate cost UAH 25 million). Its construction is envisaged by the regional comprehensive program for the years 2007-2011, as Zhytomyr region is in the top ten of the regions by tuberculosis incidence rate.

A water retaining structure on Teteriv River is in emergency condition. This object has sustained serious damages for 40 years of use, which is proved by the results of numerous inspections. Its breakdown may lead to unpredictable consequences, unless the urgent measures are taken.

"Given the scope and acuteness of these issues of Zhytomyr region, we may expect that at least the most urgent ones will be considered by the modification of the State Budget for 2011, while the rest will be included in the budget for the next year," V.Lytvyn stated.  

The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine also addressed Yurii Boiko, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, concerning energy supply of Novohrad-Volynskyi and  Novohrad-Volynskyi district. "Energy supply of these areas is the worst in the region, posing risk of power failure in local consumers, including health care establishments and other critical facilities," the address reads.

This issue not only impedes development of the region, but also challenges its economic and social prospects connected with the increasing energy consumption.

According to the local leaders and experts, the existing situation can be bettered by the construction of a new electrical substation and power line from Rivne to Shepetivka. The estimated cost of construction totals UAH 60 million.

V.Lytvyn suggested considering the proposals, and passing a respective resolution in line with the Ministry´s authorities.