All 159 amalgamated communities among which the funds of the government grant for the infrastructure development are appropriated this year have already filed respective applications for projects with the Ministry of Regional Development, however such applications fail to cover the full amount.

It was informed so by First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Viacheslav Nehoda when he summed up the results of the regular meeting of the Expert Commission at the Ministry of Regional Development on applications filed by the amalgamated communities with respect to infrastructure projects which may be implemented for account of a government grant.

"By the year end, the funds of the government grant to the amalgamated communities should be used in full, otherwise the funds will be returned to the state budget and, consequently, will not trigger the development of territories. Therefore, the communities should stir themselves to activity in that direction - to determine the infrastructure projects as soon as possible and file respective applications with the commission for consideration", Viacheslav Nehoda noted.

According to the information of the First Deputy Minister, as of 27 September, the Expert Commission at the Ministry of Regional Development has approved 1,163 applications filed by 159 amalgamated territorial communities for infrastructure development projects which will be implemented on account of the government grant. The aggregate amount required for the implementation of the approved projects totals approximately UAH 948.1 million (~94.8 % of the total amount of the government grant).

The amalgamated communities in Vinnytsia, Zakarpatska, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Mykolayiv, and Sumy Oblasts (Regions) have already allocated 100 % of the earmarked government grant funds to the infrastructure projects.

The largest remainder of the unused government grant is in Khmelnytskyi (UAH 11.2 million), Poltava (UAH 7.7 million), Odesa (UAH 7.3 million), and Ternopil (UAH 7.1 million) Oblasts.

As it was reported, the amalgamated communities have filed applications for projects covering more than 90 % of the funds of the government grant for infrastructure.

It is a reminder that the government grant in the amount of UAH 1 billion was provided for in the State Budget to the amalgamated territorial communities for the development of their infrastructure in 2016. The funds of the government grant will be distributed among 159 amalgamated communities according to a clear formula depending on the number of rural population and the area of the community. That is UAH 960 thousand for the smallest amalgamated community and up to UAH 23 million, for the largest one.