A group of MPs registered a draft law “On Establishment, Elimination and Change of Borders of the Poltava Oblast’s Rayons” (№9204). Its main provisions were discussed during the DESPRO debates on “Why Should Hromadas Amalgamate?”, held on 23 October in Poltava.

The authors of the draft law propose to create 4 new consolidated rayons instead of 25 existing ones in the Poltava Oblast, on the basis of established hospital districts, namely the Poltava, Kremenchuk, Lubny, Myrhorod Rayons.

The explanatory note to the draft law states that the existing rayon level becomes ineffective “due to actual absence or substantial reduction of its functions. Almost all powers that fall under the competence of rayon councils are taken over byamalgamated hromadas... This creates social tensions and difficult relationships between rayon authorities and newly formed hromadas.”

“Apparently, everyone has already understood that the rayon level should and will change. In the course of decentralisation the RSA and oblast councils, especially where a significant part of territories and population are already within AHs, really lose most of the powers and resources,” commented Serhiy Sharshov, Director General on Local Self-Government and Territorial Organisation of MinRegion. “Thus, the existing rayon level becomes less and less effective. And the state should offer a solution to this issue. The MPs, authors of draft law No. 9240, proposed one of the options for changing the rayon level. It will be discussed and further elaborated, including based upon your comments. Yet the obvious thing is that this issue has to be solved quickly and with no populism, relying on figures and current situation with the formation of capable hromadas.”

According to the official, the reform of the rayon level will allow, primarily, to place subdivisions of state authorities in the regions not chaotically, as now, but logically. And secondly, avoid duplication of functions of rayons and hromadas. “Only local issues that are difficult to solve by hromadas themselves, such as garbage collection, disposal and recycling, provision of secondary link medical services, construction and repair of roads, establishment ofsafety centres, etc., should be addressed at the rayon level,” said Serhiy Sharshov.

It should be recalled that in MinRegion assures that the rayon level needs to be reformed, but certainly not eliminated.