The Vice Prime Minister/Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities of Ukraine Hennadii Zubko noted in his statement at a session of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Building, Regional Policy and Local Self-Government.

On February 15, Hennadii Zubko reported to the Committee’s members about the results of the work of the Regional Development Ministry in 2015. In general, the MPs commended the launched in Ukraine large-scale reform of decentralization and unanimously supported the effective cooperation of the Ministry with the line Committee.

"Due to the efficient joint activities with MPs, in 2015 we managed to adopt the majority of crucial laws to start changing the Soviet system of governance in our country," said Hennadii Zubko. "It's not just the reform of devolution of powers, this is a new approach to regional development when the local community takes a decision independently on how to use budgetary funds. A principal objective for the government is not to give an instruction, but to promote and support effective projects providing with additional funding from the Regional Development Fund, state subventions or investments from international financial organizations. And 159 newly created territorial communities prove the success of this formula", he added.

We shall remind that in the framework of the decentralization reform, the Government and the state devolve part of the powers, responsibilities and resources to local authorities to enable them to determine priorities in order to ensure development of their territories.