Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk insists on elimination of regional state administrations

Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk insists on elimination of regional state administrations: "I think it's a vestige of the past," the Prime Minister said at the meeting on the Concept of reforming local government and territorial organization of authority in Ukraine Tuesday, March 25.

Arsenii Yatseniuk emphasized on the need to take a decision on amending the Constitution and relevant legislation on the formation of local executive committees: “Executive committees must take full responsibility for the situation in each region. This will enable first of all to increase accountability directly to the local community, of those people who will manage the resources of the local community."

"Local authorities should be given the executive committees, central government should get prefects in regions who do not involve in the distribution of funds, and carry, as in Poland, the general supervision of the observance of the legislation," he said, adding that prosecutors should be deprived of general supervision capacity.

The Prime Minister stressed that the text of the new Ukrainian Constitution should appear in Parliament on April 15.

"Our common goal is to unite the country. To give every citizen whether he is in the West or in the East, to know that he runs the country, that he may have an impact on local government and the local government is answerable to citizens," A. Yatsenyuk addressed to local government officials.

He stressed that the Government has developed a clear plan of reforms in the country: "One of the key elements of this plan is to provide additional powers to local communities and the transfer of powers from the center of the regions."

As the Prime Minister said, each local community, every region and every city "should be interested in the fact that jobs are created and more taxes are paid": "This means that some of those taxes that go to the central budget must remain in the local budget."

He also stressed that a number of state executive bodies, which have representation in the regions, in the fact turned into corruption scheme of receiving more funds by the central government." A. Yatseniuk said that the central executive authorities must carry out only general policy and general supervision: "Decision making should be in the field."

The Prime Minister said that he has already addressed to the Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services Volodymyr Hroisman so that the powers of the State Architectural and Construction Inspection will be transferred to the regions.

Arsenii Yatseniuk also welcomed the decision of the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services on the first two bills that have to be considered in the Parliament – on the right of local communities on a unions and co-operation of local communities.