The voluntary unification of communities has become an irreversible process. While the examples of newly created communities in all regions prove the need to accelerate the decentralization reform. Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Hennadii Zubko announced during his working trip to Zhytomyr region.

"Decentralization in Ukraine is perhaps the most ambitious project in Europe. Restructuring a department or a ministry is a usual process. But to restructure the entire country, to carry out decentralization and to devolve powers to the regions, we need strong political will of the President, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the Prime Minister and the Government. And we have it. No other country in Europe has faced processes now held in Ukraine", said Hennadii Zubko.

"In Zhytomyr region there is underway the process of unification of the communities. The state has provided support in financing infrastructure development and the transfer of tax revenues to the budgets. Now there is the turn of the communities to undergo unification process," said Hennadii Zubko.

The official reminded that in May, Zhytomyr regional council had adopted a draft strategic plan of unification of territories belonging to the communities in the region, which had been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

"In Zhytomyr region there was established 59 united territorial communities. Nine of them went to the recent local elections and elected their chairmen. This means that from 1 January 2016 they will establish direct budgetary relations with the State Treasury Service of Ukraine, with Kiev, and will be able to independently form the budget and choose their own development strategy", he noted.