As it is reported on the “Ves Kirovohrad” (“Whole Kirovohrad”) website, Serhiy Kuzmenko, head of the Kirovohrad Oblast State Administration, noted at the Regional Development Forum “Amalgamated Hromadas of the Kirovohrad Oblast: challenges, successes and prospects” that currently there are 16 established AHs in the oblast, and 13 of them have already held the first elections, initiating the European Ukraine formation.

“The decentralisation reform is successful in our country, and today I would like to express my gratitude to those hromadas and active people, who two years ago decided not to wait and watch how it would go on, but take on and do it. This is a good example, and I am convinced that following it we have all the opportunities and all the foundations to build a successful Ukraine and successful Kirovohrad Oblast. I remember us having such a dynamic discussion at the regional council session two years ago, there were lots of politicians who made use of any changes in the state to promote themselves, I thank them for helping and promoting our reform. Today, we have not just a reform of local self-government, we have started building up the European Ukraine, as today this very model is followed by Europe and developed countries,” said Serhiy Kuzmenko.

“We do not conceal what we are learning, and today some Kirovohrad Oblast officials are in Poland, because the Polish decentralisation model is quite successful, and thus, they learn to know more. We should not be in fear of mistakes, as of course, there are mistakes in the work already done, but we will analyse and do everything possible to prevent them in future, and make the dynamics of the further movement faster. We had a principled stance that hromadas’ amalgamation should be voluntary, so when we were reproached that something was wrong, we asked not to make a tempest in a teapot. Today we are listening to hromada and those people who have made appropriate decisions, that we will support,” said the official.

He also added that the reform is carried out in favour of strategic instead of short-term interests, so that in future hromadas receive financial opportunities to develop.