01 April 2016, 11:00
Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has called on the people's deputies to support an initiative to transfer the land located outside the territory of population centers under the control of unified territorial communities and communities that had not yet been unified.
The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada said this opening the Friday plenary meeting.
"We all have to decide on this issue for a couple of weeks. I am confident we have to do that and transfer land plots, or whole the land located outside of the unified territorial communities into ownership of those unified territorial communities. We have to let those communities that had not yet unified to administer the land," Groysman said.
The Chairperson of the Ukrainian Parliament informed that respective initiative was being registered by people's deputies along with the State Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Service and relevant Committee of the Verkhovna Rada.
Groysman noted that the initiative demands support in the walls of the Ukrainian Parliament and expressed confidence that after the registration of the draft law, people's deputies will ensure its rapid adoption. "That will mean another step in the decentralization. City, small town councils have to administer this land without any officials, administrations," Groysman said.
The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada also reminded that two years ago — on April 1, 2014 — the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Concept on the local self-government reform. "In fact, today we can actually enjoy its results," he noted.
In particular, the revenues of local budgets increased by over 40%. Besides, Ukraine has started establishing of effective territorial communities.
Besides, the central authorities have passed much power to the local level having allowed local authorities to register business, property, provide administrative services, etc.
Moreover, the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada noted that local councils have received the "right to approve own budgets even prior to the approval of the state budget [by the Verkhovna Rada]."
"However, I believe, that anyway this is only the beginning," the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada said.