4277 local councils have amalgamated in 924 capable hromadas. Of these, 33 are cities of oblast significance, that adjoined more than 70 surrounding local councils, MinRegion reports, referring to the data of monitoring of the decentralisation process of and reform of local self-government as of 10 July 2019 (DOWNLOAD). The Ministry noted that these are the hromadas that were not afraid to take responsibility for their territory development and create a normal life for their residents, relying on decentralisation.

“There is a high-quality development of local self-governance behind these figures, followed by effective hromada-oriented decisions, accessible services for people and solutions to all the problems in villages and cities that have not been resolved for years. 10 million people live in amalgamated hromadas. Our joint task with local self-governments and administrations is to implement the reform throughout the country so that all people receive the necessary services of the proper quality, so that jobs are created in their settlements and so that these settlements become comfortable and safe for them,” commented Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services.

He drew attention to the fact that the Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Khmelnytskyi Oblasts are the leaders of the reform. The Zakarpattia, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, Lviv and Kyiv Oblasts hold last positions of the rating. The number of rayons with no AHs formed so far is slowly decreasing. During the last month, the situation has improved only in three rayons, while 91 are still without hromadas.

“If this was 2015, the beginning of the reform, then this situation could be regarded as temporary. But these five oblasts holding the last positions of the rating have been “going around a circle” for a long time. The same concerns rayons. Unfortunately, the consequences of someone's inactivity in the rayons are reflected in the quality of life of people in these territories. We have high hopes for a new parliament, which will be tasked with giving legislative tools to complete the reform and ensure its omnipresence,” said the First Deputy Minister.

He stressed the need to enshrine decentralisation in the Constitution of Ukraine, adopt the legislative basis of the principles of the administrative-territorial structure, administratively complete capable hromadas’ establishment, form new rayons, introduce state supervision and control over decisions of local self-government bodies.