Decentralisation improves the hromada infrastructure, as well as enhances services in cities and villages. Due to the reform, local leaders have believed in their powers and abilities to develop hromadas, to help and protect their residents. And this is supported by both – the Government and international partners, stated Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, at the opening of the conference devoted to the launch of the initiative on “Improving Municipal Civil Protection in Amalgamated Hromadas in Ukraine”.

“Due to decentralisation, which the Government has been implementing since 2014, local authorities have received significant powers, including ensuring the proper level of safety for hromada residents. Of course, it is necessary to have resources, knowledge, organisational support and equipment for doing this. And our neighbour – the Republic of Poland – is assisting us with it. The experience of this country is close for us not only in terms of improving the civil protection system, but also in terms of reforming local self-government in general,” said Vyacheslav Nehoda.

As it was reported earlier, 30 amalgamated hromadas from six oblasts of Ukraine are selected to participate in the initiative on “Improving Municipal Civil Protection System in Amalgamated Hromadas in Ukraine” with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme. The initiative is being implemented jointly with the Association of Voluntary Fire Brigades of the Republic of Poland. The project will continue until the end of October 2019.

The list of hromadas-participants is available via the link.

Only two out of the 30 selected AHs are urban hromadas, while others are rural and settlement AHs.

“In most Ukrainian cities, a civil protection system has already been arranged. And urban hromadas have received significant resources for its improvement in course of decentralisation. Therefore, it is good that within the framework of this initiative, the support will be provided mainly to rural and settlement hromadas, where everything often has to be started from scratch. 30% of Ukrainian citizens live in rural areas, and each of them must be sure that they will receive timely protection if necessary. That is what people expect from local authorities. Therefore, hromada leaders should strive for the residents to feel secure,” said the First Deputy Minister.