14 January 2016, 14:40
The meeting participants were representatives of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, representatives of relevant Verkhovna Rada committees, all-Ukrainian associations of local self-government bodies, and experts.
In his opening speech, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Groysman said that at the beginning of the year, further steps for the decentralization in Ukraine had to be determined. He said "this is an extremely systemic reform, which is underway constantly. It should be seen, felt by the people in every specific village, town, district, or region. It should help settling important social issues. This is a systemic reform and it required gradual, close implementation. It is very important to make local self-government bodies feel their responsibility, and let the people feel precise steps improving their life," Groysman said.
The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada noted that in 2016, the authorities would have to focus on supporting unified territorial communities. He said that the unified territorial communities would receive better conditions and opportunities for further development.
Besides, Groysman said that the country required precise distribution of authorities and liabilities at the different levels — communities, towns, districts, regions, in particular, in the field of education and health care.
He said that another key issue in the field of decentralization is the capacity of local self-government bodies. "If we pass the authorities [to the local level], we have to get sure that these authorities will be fulfilled and be useful for the people," he said.
The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada noted that local communities have to be taught managing own resources, in particular, organizing qualification upgrading courses, providing methodological and legal assistance, etc.
At the end of his speech, the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada expressed hope that the result of the meeting will be the elaboration of the operational plan for 2016 with precise terms and responsibility to ensure "effective implementation of decentralization."
Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing Public Utility Economy Hennadii Zubko noted that the adoption of the State Budget of Ukraine for 2016 gave an opportunity to hope for the decentralization. He said that a total of 159 communities without district, without region obtained an opportunity to conduct budget settlements. All the funds are channeled for the regional development, which triggers economic growth.
Zubko also noted that today the state can get economically stronger thanks to the development of the regions and communities, which in turn can attract investments and create jobs, take energy efficient measures and lower their expenditures. In his words, there is no other way to achieve development.
Zubko also noted that Ukraine currently needs priority development of the decentralization, which is requiring funding and certain efforts.
First Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Administration Vitalii Kovalchuk noted that the President of Ukraine does pay particular attention to the decentralization of power. He said to successfully introduce that reform, Ukraine needs certain laws, in particular, on administrative-territorial structure, on prefects, new wording of the law on local self-government.
Kovalchuk pointed to the problems during the implementation of the Law of Ukraine "On unified territorial communities."
He also noted that the Presidential Administration of Ukraine would take an active part in this work.
Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oksana Syroyid said that the transparency is the formula for the implementation of the budget decentralization.
Syroyid pointed to the fact that today at the local level people are not aware of how to use the funds received by the unified territorial communities. She noted that the Government has to teach people at the local level how to use the funds properly.
Representatives of all-Ukrainian associations of local self-government bodies supported holding of the decentralization. In their speeches, particular attention was drawn to the problems emerging in financing of transportation of privileged categories of population and reformation of the career and technical education, transfer of property of vocational training colleges to the proper level.
Representatives of the all-Ukrainian associations informed that their major task for this year was the establishment of a budget simulator and holding of the reform at the local level.
Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada and Head of the Constitutional Commission Volodymyr Groysman urged the Verkhovna Rada Secretariat along with representatives of the Government and respective ministries to study the problems and elaborate proposals for the decentralization plan for 2016.
Groysman also offered to hold the next decentralization meeting with the participation of representatives of the Health Ministry of Ukraine in February 2016.