Hennadii Zubko: Decentralization is the main anti-corruption project of Ukraine

The main anti-corruption project is decentralization. The current agenda the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities of Ukraine contains three main directions in the area of fight against corruption. This includes reformatting of the State Fund of Regional Development and decentralisation in construction and land relations. Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities of Ukraine of Ukraine Hennadii Zubko stated in his speech at the International Anti-Corruption Conference “Preventing. Fighting. Acting”.

"We should fight corruption in each project, destroying it in each industry, sector after sector. Otherwise, it is not a real struggle, but just the declarations", he said.

Hennadii Zubko noted that the Ministry he chairs is systematically engaged in activities to prevent corruption risks. This year there was adopted the Law "On fundamentals of state regional policy", which determines a system of bodies involved in the implementation of the state regional policy, strategic and planning documents and financial tools as well.

"This law and subsequent legislative acts of the Government were developed taking into account the best European practices regarding the financing of programmes and projects of regional development. And this experience is in fact introduced in the procedures of preparation, evaluation and selection of projects of the State Fund for Regional Development (SFRD)", explained the Vice Prime Minister.

According to the official, these procedures are maximally transparent and open – a regional commission selects projects through competition, the selection procedure is broadcast online. "The entire process takes place without the intervention of the central government, regions independently determine the areas and projects to be financed", he said.

Hennadiy Zubko also noted that the entire information of the SFRD on projects, selection, funding and terms of implementation is available in an open online source (http://dfrr.minregion.gov.ua ).

He added that regional development is closely connected with implementation of investment projects aimed at achieving the goals of national and regional development strategies. Such projects can be financed from the State Fund of Regional Development. Presently, 785 projects are being implemented worth UAH 2.9 bln.

Together with the European partners there was created Ukraine's first on-line platform on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development containing information about regional projects that can be executed for the funds of the SFRD. Aimed to further minimize corruption risks, the Ministry of Regional Development will provide an opportunity for all contestants to place their offers, said Hennadii Zubko. There will be also available data on monitoring and evaluation of the efficiency of use of budgetary funds while implementing such projects.