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Along with the decentralization of power, there was also the decentralization of corruption — Anatoly Boyko

In an exclusive comment EliteExpert permanent head of the Odesa regional organization of the VGO "Committee of Voters of Ukraine" Anatoly Boyko spoke about the work and activities of the OTG in the Odesa region, as well as what future, in his opinion, awaits them.

For the most part, the decentralization of power had a positive effect on the development of communities and was needed by the country - communities received more funding, the right to dispose of land, and opportunities and resources for their own development.

Therefore, those communities that were formed in an optimal configuration, self-sufficient, headed by a person who thinks not about his own earnings, but about development - such communities only benefited from decentralization.

Another issue is that the process of community formation did not always take place from the point of view of the real criteria that were laid down in the decentralization methodology and in view of the future development prospects of the community. In some places, formation took place in the interests of people's or local deputies, large entrepreneurs or future heads of communities. We have such situations in the Odesa region as well: for example, the Mayak community, which was formed in violation of all possible requirements. Someone just needed to keep Palanka and a piece of the transit border under control. And I am sure that it was decided not by the people who manage the Mayak community today, but in much higher offices. In general, we have about ten communities in the region, which were not created in the interests of the people who live there, but people who plan to make money from these communities. Over time, such communities will turn out to be unsustainable and unsustainable, and they will have to be merged with neighboring communities.

There are also issues related to the development and self-sufficiency of communities. We have had financial decentralization, which is great, but the state followed the method of simply pumping money into communities, and not a more strategic way of creating a local economy. Local and regional economic development would allow the community to fully support itself after some time, even without subventions, as currently a large share of the community budget consists of subventions - educational and health care. And right now, when there is a war and the state does not have this money, many communities cannot reconcile their budgets. And if there was a strong local economy, communities would not be so dependent on the state budget.

I can't help but note the decentralization of corruption, which also took place in parallel, when in some communities the heads collect salaries and bonuses of 100-150 thousand hryvnias per month, or when the budget is openly "dusted". But today there is no adequate tool for control of community leadership by the state and society.

 And finally, about district councils. The two years that have already passed since the local elections have confirmed what was said at the beginning - district councils in such configurations are absolutely unnecessary and there is no sense in their existence. For example, the Odesa District Council and the Odesa District State Administration - what they manage and what they decide - is not clear. They have a small budget, but these funds could have been used more appropriately. Therefore, in my opinion, the issue with district councils will also need to be closed after the war.

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