The Government is to endorse by the end of year a strategy of development of Ukrainian roads and planning to accumulate around UAH 35-40 billion to ensure a large-scale construction of roads in Ukraine the following year. Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman announced during his visit of Cherkasy, Kirovograd and Poltava regions on Tuesday.

"The Strategy of development of Ukrainian roads due to be approved before the end of the year is the first point on the agenda. The second point is the consolidation of resources. It will be about UAH 35-40 billion for the next year”, said Volodymyr Groysman. “The roads in Ukraine will be build and nobody can stop us".

"We need to consolidate this resource [for the reconstruction and construction of roads] and we must cease building roads to nowhere. We will construct roads from beginning to end to ensure people safely use the roads”, said the Prime Minister. “This year, such approach has already been launched."

He noted that this year marked the start of a large-scale repair and construction of roads in Ukraine. Hence, works are underway in different regions where road sections in critical condition.

This year the Government has allocated for road works UAH 19 billion, of which UAH 8.7 billion was already spent for these purposes, said the Prime Minister. At that, volumes of funds for the reconstruction and overhaul of roads increased significantly. Volodymyr Groysman gave the example of Kirovograd region, which this year was allotted UAH 225 million, whereas the previous year funding had been absent.

By now current maintenance of roads, filling of pits have been completed at 99%, said the Head of Government.

Speaking about plans for next year, Volodymyr Groysman pledged that the Government would allocate for the reconstruction and construction activities about UAH 35-40 billion. In 2017 it is planned to set up a Road Fund, which will provide for the decentralization of roads: part of the resource – to local authorities, major roads [within responsibility –ed.] of the central department. About UAH 14 billion revenues directed to the Road Fund intended from the excise duty, explained the Prime Minister.

"In fact, this system will be efficient. We have to launch it from 1 January 2017. It implies higher accountability, transparency and quality in road management", he said.

Apart from that, Volodymyr Groysman raised an issue of the quality of road works. As a result of construction and reconstruction activities the roads in Ukraine must meet international standards, he said.

The Prime Minister noted that "Ukravtodor" is responsible for the fixation and control over quality of works.

"We aren’t going to pay for low quality, for overestimating volumes and other things. We shall do chemical analysis to understand what they put in the Ukrainian roads. We pay full price - we demand good quality", urged Volodymyr Groysman.

The Prime Minister also called on the public to monitor the quality of work on each particular road section, use of technology, as well as the effectiveness of the use of allocated funds and procurement procedures.