DECENTRALIZATION, BASIC ASPECTS OF THE HUGE
Abstract
The article deals with the state creation of amalgamated territorial community (ATC). The functioning of local self-government bodies and executive authorities is analysed. The key problems in the process of creating amalgamated territorial communities are identified and the urgent problems and priority areas of improvement identified in the context of decentralization reform.
The team of authors has determined that the ATC establishment requires the creation of a new administrative centre for all the cities, villages and settlements that are part of it, and the mandatory holding of elections of the ATC governing bodies. In addition, the article outlines the structure of governing bodies of the amalgamated territorial communities, whose powers are quite broad: from the development of a development strategy to the organization of the improvement of the villages and settlements that are part of the ATC.
The main subventions from the state budget for the development of ATC are the followings: subsidies for construction, repair and maintenance of public roads of local importance; subsidy for the implementation of measures of socio- economic nature of individual territories; a subsidy for the formation of an ATC infrastructure; a subsidy for the implementation of measures to develop the health system in rural areas; educational and medical subventions; and subsidy for assistance to low-income families, etc.
The article investigates that the pace of formation of new amalgamated territorial communities is outpacing the rate of increase of funds allocated from the state budget to support their development, which causes inequality in the conditions of development of ATC (depending on the year of creation of the community).
Through the reform of decentralization of territorial communities, the Government of Ukraine aimed to bring the authorities closer to the residents of the amalgamated territorial communities and the residents to the authorities in order to strengthen their ability to exercise local self-government and increase the availability of quality educational, medical, cultural, administrative, community and social services that community residents receive.
It is concluded that in the context of decentralization reform in Ukraine, increasing the self-sufficiency of communities, for many ATCs for example, those who do not have large businesses in their territory can only be realized through the unification of already established amalgamated territorial communities with each other.
