Traditional annual forum ‘Reforms. Decentralisation. European Integration’ held in the hero city of Bucha

On 1 December, the traditional annual forum organised by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Organisation of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning was held in the hero city of Bucha.

The event was attended by Ukrainian MPs, representatives of central executive bodies, local governments and their associations, international and Ukrainian organisations, and the expert community.

Valentyna Poltorak, Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project Manager, joined the discussion. She presented the main directions of the Project’s second phase and talked about an important stage – the selection of additional partner regions: ‘Education is one of the key factors for the sustainability and development of communities. Therefore, the geography of the Project is expanding – we are starting to select new partner regions with which we will cooperate in the areas of strategic planning, de-bureaucratisation and digitalisation of education, implementation of reforms in secondary and vocational education, and creation of a career guidance system for schoolchildren, the development of inter-municipal cooperation between communities, and we will select 40 partner communities in these areas to develop a modern education system.’

The discussion focused on updating legislation in local self-government regarding the delineation of powers between authorities at different levels, including in education sector.

Topics discussed included:

• amendments to the Tax Code regarding the transfer of local tax administration functions (in particular, land and property taxes) directly to local governments;

• the transition from paying PIT at the place of registration of the enterprise to the place of its location;

• a draft law on the principles and specifics of the delineation of powers;

• issues related to service in local governments, in particular the possible early entry into force of certain provisions of the law (before the termination of martial law) regarding the establishment of decent remuneration for local government officials;

• changes to the horizontal equalisation formula (calculation of basic and reverse subsidies);

• a draft law on maintaining quorums in councils of small communities and councils in territories in the combat zone.

Particular attention was given to the need to update legislation in line with the realities of war, such as how to manage de-occupied territories and adapt the structure of authority to demographic changes.

The Forum’s partners were: the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project, ULEAD with Europe, EGAP Programme, UCORD Project, Polaris, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, and DESPRO NGO.

The DECIDE project is implemented by NGO DOCCU and PHZH International Projects in Education with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine.

To view the photo gallery, click on the photo.