Decentralization is largest anti-corruption step in history of Ukraine - Zubko
Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities of Ukraine Hennadiy Zubko stated during a lecture entitled "Decentralization Reform in Ukraine" for students of the Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, the Government portal reported.
Answering the students' questions about the obstacles that prevented the previous governments in Ukraine from implementing the decentralization reform and devolution of powers to the regions, the official said: "To put it mildly, they had the lack of political will. Back in 1996, Ukraine signed the European Charter of Local Self-Government. But, in fact, it never worked until 2014. Each president and parliament who came to power firstly talked about the transfer of powers and finance to the regions, and then changed their mind... I believe that the current decentralization reform is the largest anti-corruption step in the history of the state."
According to Zubko, today 52% of the state budget is already concentrated in the local budgets.
"The way of transferring powers and resources to the regions is preventive, it forestalls corruption," the official said.