PM Shmyhal, German government’s special envoy discuss decentralization reform

According to Shmyhal, the reform of local government and territorial organization of authorities is of strategic importance for Ukraine, the Government portal informs.

"The reform has already proved its effectiveness in improving the quality of public services and bringing them closer to the people of communities," the Head of Government said. He added that local elections had been held amid the pandemic, despite a difficult year.

"Amendments to the Constitution should cement the transition from a centralized to a decentralized model of the state, which is based on the community," Shmyhal stressed.

The Head of Government stressed that the decentralized model should encapsulate new relations between local self-government and public authorities on the basis of partnership, mutual trust, and responsibility.

"Transformations should be aimed primarily at guaranteeing the financial basis of local government, the possibility for local self-government bodies to create their own executive bodies at district and regional levels. Also, the changes should transform local state administrations into prefectural bodies, the main task of which will be to perform only state functions, not self-governing ones," Shmyhal underscored.

The Prime Minister stressed that the amendments to the Basic Law should cement the irreversibility of decentralization and its results. Shmyhal also informed about the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine which was established for better cooperation between state bodies, including local executive bodies, and local self-government bodies.

In turn, Mr. Georg Milbradt noted that Ukraine had demonstrated good results in implementing decentralization reform amid all difficulties.

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