Kyiv, June 19, 2014 – “We need to reform the local government, delegate the communities, districts and regions the authority to deal with issues that can be resolved at the local level. When it comes to national security, it should be the state’s prerogative only. If we talk about the issues of a specific kindergarten or some road repairs, these issues should be resolved by the community or region respectively. Our task now is to provide both power and effective control over the local government by both the community and the state. Decentralization is a process when we grant the local government an opportunity to make decisions, fund their programs, develop the local economy and the humanitarian sphere. Handling the issue of power decentralization we must act radically, cosmetic changes give no results, ” stated Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Volodymyr Groisman during a press briefing at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Decentralization in Ukraine will allow to build a different model of Ukraine following the example of European countries. Volodymyr Groisman reported that in the nearest future the President of Ukraine Poroshenko will submit to the Ukraine’s Parliament draft amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine. Vice Prime Minister hopes that this year all the necessary legislative changes to the reform of the local government will be adopted. In this context, the enactment of the principles of regional policy is paramount.
Volodymyr Groisman said that all the ministries will be involved in the reform process. “At yesterday’s government meeting all ministries and departments were instructed to develop their own decentralization plans. “The plans to reform local government will be presented in September. “Today I see no serious risk in power decentralization,” – concluded Vice Prime Minister.
