Today Vladyslav Skalskyi, head of the Vinnytsia Oblast State Administration, has held his first working meeting with the editors of the rayon mass media of the region. The largest block of questions for the head of the region concerned implementation of the reform of the administrative and territorial structure in the Vinnytsia Oblast, staffing reduction in rayon state administrations and possible staff rotation of rayon heads, as well as the procedure for election of heads of amalgamated hromadas.

“The policy towards decentralisation processes and AH formation must be sustainable. The process of voluntary amalgamation has been lasting for a long time, and its effectiveness, especially in the Vinnytsia Oblast, can be discussed. We must finally complete the process of AH formation, give powers, and provide hromadas with financial resources. It's a pretty complicated process. However, this is the only way to ensure that hromada leaders are fully accountable to their residents. Each AH must be capable, self-sufficient and meet certain standards for certain administrative service delivery. The territory of Ukraine should be fully covered by capable AHs, which bear full responsibility for the lives of people in their territory,” said the head of the Oblast State Administration. “It is impossible to demand professionalism and responsibility from people when they do not have powers.”

According to him, the state must guarantee security and integrity of territories and borders, public order and the rule of law, sustainable foreign policy – that is, global issues. All other issues should be determined solely by specific territories. Vladyslav Skalskyi stressed the need to understand the importance of strategic development – each hromada should have its development strategy elaborated.