This is stated in the Analytical Report on the annual message of the President of Ukraine to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine “On the Internal and External Situation in Ukraine in 2018”, published on the website of the National Institute for Strategic Studies.

“Local budgets have exceeded 15% of Ukraine's GDP and amount to more than 51% of the consolidated budget of Ukraine. Local self-government bodies ceased to be “social cash-desks” solely from payment of salaries to several employees of the village council. They have become the fully functional bodies that influence the development of their territories and are the largest public investors on the territory. It is important that this applies both to the cities of oblast significance and amalgamated hromadas. Local self-government bodies received much more financial resources for their own development, modernisation of infrastructure, current and major repairs of the entire public urban space. The budget alignment, which is now based on revenue estimates, rather than local budget expenditures, stimulates local AHs and hromadas of cities of oblast significance to save money, develop local economy, and thus, human capital,” as informed in the report.

It is noted that the activities of local self-government bodies during 2015-2017 showed that a new stratum of effective managers, who in a few years will be able to reach the level of public administration, is being formed at the local level.