The season of vigorous road network construction in 2018 is winding up, road services engage in summing up and preparing for the winter. However, there are becoming obvious the gaps in the implementation of plans for reconstruction of roads of local importance, with the sum worth UAH 11 billion allocated from the budget, as well as the need for rapid response to cases of abuse. This was stated by Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman during a meeting on the situation in the road sector. The participants of the meeting heard the reports of the leadership of the Ukravtodor State Agency of Motor Roads of Ukraine and the State Audit Service, which, on commission of the Head of Government, had conducted the audit of the implementation of construction and repair activities, and the use of the allotted budget funds. The report includes the period of 2015-2017, and now the Service is facing the task of analyzing 2018 in detail, for each particular contractor and each spent hryvnia.

"I will never tolerate any abuses in the road construction activities. We will process the materials (of inspections by the State Audit Service). I'm interested in facts of overpricing, non-compliance with materials quality requirements, technology violations", urged Volodymyr Groysman. "The year of 2018 should be subjected to the detailed analysis. I want to get answers to all the questions - full findings: who inflated prices, who mixed (poor quality) bitumen, everything. Those who did their job well deserve gratitude, while those who engaged in plundering - bringing to justice.

The Head of Government stressed that the promise about high-quality roads is among the topmost priorities in work. "I promised that the Ukrainians would drive along good roads, and they will. It's clear that this is rather difficult and it’s impossible to do within one year. But we have a five-year comprehensive program (connection of regional centers with new ways built in line with new norms and compliance with safety requirements). Its implementation will enable us to achieve the set goal."

In this regard, the Head of Government stressed on the importance of implementing local road construction programs. "There are areas which demonstrate good performance, there are areas that demonstrate mismanagement. We will focus on work with those areas", promised Volodymyr Groysman. "Local roads are the remit of local authorities. Of the available UAH 11 billion (allocated in the budget in 2018), the implementation will make up only UAH 6 billion. The volumes are under the plan. I would like everyone to draw conclusions."

Separately, Volodymyr Groysman touched on the plans for 2019. Thus, according to the Ukravtodor data, some tenders for the next construction season are announced now.

"It is important, therefore, that Parliament approves the draft State Budget for 2019, which stipulates for the amount worth UAH 55 billion as expenditures for road network construction. Of these, UAH 17 billion - expenditures on local roads", the Head of Government noted. "The Ukrainian citizens will see larger volumes of work and feel that a high-quality road infrastructure grows."