Ukrayinka (Kyiv Region), June 26-27: UNDP Project “Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Programme” supported mayors` discussion on urgent solid waste management (SWM) problems in small cities at the VII Annual Small Cities` Conference. The participants adopted a Resolution to the Ministry of Economy and Trade, the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Municipal Economy and the Committee of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on State Construction and Local Self Governance with proposals on improving an SWM treatment in Ukraine.
VII Annual Conference of Small Cities of Ukraine was devoted to the topic "Addressing the challenges of solid waste management and introduction of inter-municipal cooperation". This topic is acute for all cities and towns of Ukraine, as only about 75% of Ukraine's population are covered with services of solid waste removal and in rural areas only 30%.
Grygoriy Semchuk, Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Municipal Economy of Ukraine reminded the audience about six priorities of housing reform enshrined in the National Programme for Housing and Municipal Economy Development for 2009-2014. These priorities are improving the legislative framework and governance, financial stabilization of the sector, technical re-equipment, capacity development of the staff and information work with the public.
According to international practice, spending of the population on treatment of solid waste should make 1% of average income, while in Ukraine, such costs are equal to 0.2%, which is not conducive for introduction of new practices of collection and recycling of the wastes. Despite many problems of solid waste, Ukraine achieved some success. Thus, separate collection of waste has been introduced in 185 municipalities. Operation of 12 sorting lines and 3 recycling plants allow disposing about 8% of SW annually. Oleksandr Ignatenko, Director of landscaping and public service of the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Municipal Economy of Ukraine announced this data.
Konstyantyn Vashchenko, First Vice-President of the National Academy of Public Administration of Ukraine, proposed steps to improve SWM. First, the reform should be based on encouragement and motivation, through the introduction of regressive tax scale for SW enterprises using innovative technologies. Secondly, the changes in budget policy should be made to increase the own resources of municipalities to solve problems locally. Thirdly, the Government should support a public-private partnership between government, consumers and businesses and improve the legislation.
Leonid Tulovskiy, Quality Management Expert of the UNDP Project "Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Programme" spoke about the progress of inter-municipal project on integrated approach in SWM. This project is being implemented to solve the problems that exist in SWM in Tulchyn rayon by Tulchyn Rayon state administration, Tulchyn Rayon Council, Tulchyn City Council, Suvoriv and Kynashiv village councils, supported by the Swiss-Ukrainian project "Support to Decentralisation in Ukraine" and the UNDP Project "Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Programme".
According to experts opinion, introduction of innovative practices in handling of waste should be accompanied by public information campaign. The campaign "Less waste, better life" is held in Tulchyn rayon under support of UNDP / MGSDP and covers target groups of pupils, students, representatives of local communities, businesses and others. Valeriy Vesnyanyi, Tulchyn City Mayor said: "The information campaign, conducted in Tulchyn, should be conducted throughout the state. It is necessary to educate people how to treat wastes in a civilized".
The resolution of the conference participants appeals to the Ministry of Economy and Trade of Ukraine to take measures to finance the State Programme of Socio-Economic Development of Small Cities in 2011-2015, which provides financing for the purchase of special equipment for removal of solid waste. Also, participants addressed the Parliamentary Committe and the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Municipal Economy with the proposal to establish a working group to draft amendments to laws relating to compulsory contracts for removal and disposal of waste. Also, the participants proposed to introduce state regulation of tariffs for recyclable materials for the economic incentives for collection of solid waste. The Resulotion suggests to use the opportunities of the state enterprise "Ukrekoresurs" for the purchase of equipment for sorting, recycling and disposal of solid waste in small towns and regulate the mechanism of inter-municipal cooperation in legislation.
For more information, contact Galyna Smirnova, Monitoring and Communications Officer, tel. (044) 584-34-75 or e-mail: galyna.smirnova at undp.org.ua
