Foreign passports issued in hromadas? “It’s impossible,” someone may think. It is too possible. The team of DESPRO and decentralisation.gov.ua have returned from the Velykohayivska hromada. This is where all the myths of decentralisation are brought to naught.

Remember, we were frightened that after amalgamation residents will need to travel for tens of kilometres to get certificates, that village councils will close and villages disappear?

Welcome the video – Administrative Service Centre in the Velykohayivska hromada of the Ternopil Oblast. Its construction was financed from an infrastructure subvention and, in part, from the hromada budget. Modern equipment, specially trained specialists and no queues. 160 different administrative services are delivered here, including 15 types of social assistance and, even, ID cards and foreign passports’ issue service. The hromada purchased the station to issue such documents at its own expense. And 70% of an administrative fee for issuing ID cards and foreign passports is credited to the local budget.

Here, people also receive counseling services from the Pension Fund, Social Security Department, and Employment Centre. The hromada is working to ensure that passports and driving licenses are issued.

The ASC serves an average of 600 citizens per month.

People from surrounding villages who are part of the AH do not need to go to the ASC. The village starosta does it for them, receiving the necessary documents from the people and sending them to the ASC.

Amalgamated hromadas in Ukraine have already opened 168 Administrative Service Centres. The rest of AHs are working on their opening, as they now have the opportunities provided by decentralisation.