Infrastructure of the regions of Ukraine: Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

Round table “Status and Prospects for Infrastructure Development of Regions of Ukraine”, dedicated to the presentation and discussion of the results of the study of the level of infrastructure development in 24 regions of Ukraine, took place on July 28, 2014 in Kyiv in the conference room of the Hotel “Rus”.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the level of infrastructure development of the respective regions, to identify weaknesses and to develop practical recommendations for financing its development (the full version of the research results can be found at the link: http://www.fes.kiev.ua/new/wb/media/infrastruktura.pdf).

The event was moderated Natalia Romanova, President of the House of Regions of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, who noted the importance of involving a network of public experts in the field of regional development and infrastructure of Ukraine.

Director of the Regional Representation of the Fund. F. Ebert in Ukraine Stefan Moiser He expressed his gratitude to the Polissya Fund and the Association of Regional Analytical Centers for his analytical work and emphasized the desire of the Fund. Friedrich Ebert to support the activities of public analytical institutions, since they can in the future be a major tool in conducting independent complex research in the socio-political and economic spheres at the national level.

President of the Polissya Fund of International and Regional Research Gennady Maxak He noted that he was the first analytical product of the Association of Regional Analytical Centers of the National Level, which initiated the activity of the network in conducting systemic research in the economic and socio-political spheres of development of Ukrainian society.

Experts of the Association of Regional Analytical Centers performed among the speakers on the Round Table.

Expert of the Polissya Fund of International and Regional Research Maxim Zabashtansky (Chernihiv) emphasized that it is now necessary to intensify the processes of attracting potential investors in the Chernihiv region under the conditions of public-private partnership, concessions for communal services.

Dmitry Arabadzhiev, Expert of the Zaporizhzhya Human Rights League “Universal” (Zaporizhzhia), paid special attention to the negative environmental aspect of the state of infrastructure of Zaporizhzhya region and emphasized the need to take into account in the improvement of all subsystems of infrastructure of the region.

One of the urgent needs for the development of infrastructure of the Ivano-Frankivsk region, according to the Chairman of the Board of the Public Center “Business Initiatives” Galina Vasylchenko (Ivano-Frankivsk) there is a need to improve the quality of road covering, given their high density in the region.

Arshavir Sarkisov, expert of the South Ukrainian Border Research Center (Kherson), emphasized the importance and need to attract private investments for the development of infrastructure of the Kherson region, since the mechanisms for their development are more effective at this stage than for state budgetary funds.

Expert of the Center for Political Analysis and Electoral Consulting Dmitry Bezherny (Lutsk) one of the main features of the Volyn region called the significant share of the rural population and the high density of rural settlements in the region, most of which have problems in the infrastructure, which adversely affects the general state of infrastructure of the region.

Expert of the Analytical Center of the Bureau of Economic and Social Research Vadim Stefan .

Love rolled, Head of the Legal Service of the Academy of Strategic Studies (Cherkasy), paid special attention to the main competitive advantages of Cherkasy region (considerable nature and resource potential, favorable economic and geographical location at the intersection The need to attract investments for the development of those infrastructure subsystems of the Cherkasy region that will strengthen these benefits.

Presenting the results of the analysis of the level of infrastructure development of the regions of Ukraine, experts of the Polissya Fund and the Association of Regional Analytical Centers noted that in almost every region, all its components are in poor condition. Among the main infrastructure problems were: low innovative activity, high level of depreciation of fixed assets, underestimation of private-state partnership in the investment sphere and lack of state attention to the problems of complex arrangement of territories.

For example, for the Chernihiv region, the analysis of infrastructure undoubtedly testified to the existence of a systemic crisis in the functioning of the economy of the region. Currently, such infrastructure subsystems as medical, environmental and housing and communal services subsystem deserve special attention. In order to overcome the situation, experts of the Polissya Fund proposed the introduction of public-private partnership schemes, concessions in communal services. Among the primary investment projects in infrastructure objects is the construction of a complex for processing of solid household waste in Chernihiv.

In discussing the conclusions and recommendations on the results of the study, the participants of the round table emphasized the need to take into account the defense aspect of regional infrastructure, an in -depth study of the interaction of infrastructure subsystems as one of the factors of overcoming complex problems of territories. It also emphasized the expediency of use for the development of regional infrastructure of opportunities that are opened after ratification of the Association Agreement with the EU. The question of the inappropriateness of infrastructure as an element of a certain territory has repeatedly raised. Currently, local communities should be key entities that will determine the areas of infrastructure subsystems and consume their services.

The participants of the “round table” concluded that the regional experts of the public sector on the analysis of the dynamics of local infrastructure development. One of the important elements of such work should be interaction with the central and local authorities to convey the results and implementation of recommendations.

Conducting the event and publication of the results of the study were carried out within the framework of the project “Status and Prospects for the Development of Infrastructure of Regions”, implemented by the regional representation of the Fund. Friedrich Ebert in Ukraine in cooperation with the Polissya Fund of International Research and the Association of Regional Analytical Centers.