The Committee of the Verkhovna Rada on State Governance, Local Self-Government, Regional Development, and Urban Planning has recommended that Parliament support bill No. 10284 in its second reading and as a whole. This document aims to enhance the involvement of state bodies and local self-government in the implementation of international technical assistance programs and cross-border cooperation.
This is reported by Finway
Key Provisions of the Bill
As reported by the head of the subcommittee on cooperation between territorial communities and regions, Oleksandr Alyksiichuk, 82 proposals and amendments have been submitted to the bill, which was approved in its first reading on June 5, 2024. The subcommittee recommended considering some of these, while those that did not receive support were rejected.
The draft law provides for new conditions for attracting and retaining qualified specialists in local government who work with international grant programs. In particular, it is proposed to introduce additional payments for local self-government officials for extra work related to ensuring the implementation of international assistance programs and cross-border projects.
Funding and Additional Opportunities
It is anticipated that these additional payments will be funded from resources obtained under international technical assistance, European Union grants, as well as from the governments and municipalities of other countries (excluding the aggressor state) that are allocated to local budgets.
The document also allows for the engagement of specialists with foreign language skills and project management experience to prepare grant applications and further implement international projects at the local level.
“The adoption of the bill will allow communities to not only attract new specialists but also retain those employees who are already working with international programs.”
The committee is convinced that such changes will contribute to more effective implementation of international initiatives and increase specialists’ interest in working with grant projects at the local level.