Focus on decentralization of power really unites Ukraine. Empowerment of local councils, financial independence of regions, effective budget allocation, proceeding from urgent needs – the vast majority of Ukrainians supports these requirements, irrespective of party preferences.
No political force risks opposing decentralization. Nevertheless, the government doesn’t voluntarily wish to leave control over financial flows. Decentralization in Kiev and regions is interpreted in different ways: the Cabinet of Ministers tries to shift on local budgets as much expenses as possible, gromadas resist and demand preservation of bigger percent of the taxes collected in their territory.
After intergovernmental fiscal relations reform in December, 2014 local council got an additional resource. But in the draft of the state budget an enormous burden on local budgets is planned for 2017.
The maintenance of educational and healthcare institutions, financing of technical school system, travel privilege – for Kharkiv, according to the City Council experts, the expenditure budget will grow by 2,5 billion UAH. Despite the fact that the total city revenues in 2016 is about 8,5 billion.
The Kharkiv regional office of Association of Ukrainian Cities sent the corresponding appeal to People’s Deputies with a request at the legislative level to provide for the balance of local budgets on a legislative level.
As the People’s Deputy elected from the Kharkiv district № 174 I will use the best efforts for on-the-spot decision. Particularly, at the next faction meeting I will bring up a question of compensations for local budgets for preferential transportations with preparation of the relevant proposals in the draft budget.
I don’t think that increased expenditure of local budgets is a wrong thing. But it’s only one side of the coin. To increase burden on gromadas without the corresponding compensators is an absurdity. Either the parliament leaves to local councils bigger percent of fiscal charges, or covers the deficit from the state budget.
I’m sure that this question can unite not only the Kharkiv deputies from different factions, but also representatives of other regions who met the same difficulties. Funding disturbance of the vital programs is inadmissible.
If the working process at the Ukrainian schools and hospitals is paralyzed, people won’t sort out whose competence it is and from what budget funds must be allocated. I believe, the power is rather motivated with prevention of protests and it won’t plant a time bomb into the budget.
