Denys Shmyhal took part in the Presidium meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

The Government has already allocated UAH 60 billion for the rapid recovery of the regions, and the task of local authorities is to use the funds effectively. This was emphasised by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal in his speech on 14 September at a meeting of the Presidium of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, which was devoted to the situation with restoration, demining and preparation for the autumn-winter period in the Kharkiv region.

“Our priority is to rebuild as quickly as possible. We must do everything to ensure that Ukrainians have a roof over their heads, water, electricity, heat, functioning schools and hospitals, transport and other services,” the Head of Government stressed.

He added that UAH 3.56 billion had been allocated to the Kharkiv region from the fund for the elimination of the consequences of armed aggression to restore settlements, housing and public infrastructure.

According to the Prime Minister, the Government is focusing on five main areas of rapid recovery, the first of which is eVidnovlennia. More than 12,000 families have already received funding for repairs, with payments totalling over UAH 1 billion. Kharkiv region is the leader in terms of applications for compensation for damaged and destroyed housing, with more than 16,000 applications received. At the same time, it is necessary to speed up the work of local commissions for processing applications. The Prime Minister also said that the relevant authorities were finalising the mechanism for issuing certificates for destroyed property. The first certificates are expected to be available in Diia by the end of the month. In total, 1,200 applications for destroyed property have been submitted in Kharkiv region.

The focus is also on an area as important as mine clearance. A total of 26 demining vehicles have been deployed across the country, including 6 in Kharkiv region. The Government is in constant dialogue with partners to provide new equipment.

Denys Shmyhal also stressed that one of the most important tasks today was to restore critical infrastructure: municipal, social, transport, as well as schools, hospitals, and to support businesses and communities.

In terms of support for the regions, UAH 16.6 billion in basic and additional subsidies were allocated to the regions in August alone. And where active hostilities are ongoing, a reverse subsidy is also available.

“We are enabling local authorities to finance their priority needs. We insist on a clear prioritisation of spending: security and defence, social assistance, healthcare, education, critical infrastructure and rapid recovery,” the Head of Government stressed.

The Prime Minister noted that this year UAH 4.4 billion of targeted subventions had been transferred to Kharkiv region. The region received UAH 1.3 billion from the reserve fund for the construction of fortifications. A further UAH 19.7 million was allocated to compensate institutions hosting internally displaced persons. Compared to last year, local budget revenues in Kharkiv region increased by 19%.