Kyiv, November 6-9: The Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Municipal Economy of Ukraine (Minregion) organized the VIII International Congress "Institutional and Technical Aspects of Housing and Municipal Economy Reform". 11 specialized exhibitions, conferences and trainings were held at the Congress. UN Development Programme supported the Congress and presented educational and professional programs for training specialists in management of multi-apartment houses, produced at the request of the Minregion.
The Congress participants (the programme in English) have discussed the ways to improve the management of housing and municipal economy, introduction of more efficient management in operation of networks of water supply, sanitation and heating of communal property. This could be done through attracting private investment in technical re-equipment of these facilities, which will improve the quality of public services and accelerate housing and municipal economy reform.
"These directions can be called the “seven pillars” which hold the whole housing and municipal economy. They include the deregulation of the industry, a full accounting of the resources, establishing effective owner of residential property, real cost-based rates, monetization of benefits and subsidies, the availability of "cheap money" for modernization and application program –based budgeting for implementation of each of these directions. This means a holistic approach when resources are concentrated and not dispersed to several similar programs thus synergistic effect would be reached", said Anatoly Blyzniuk, the Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Municipal Economy.
A difficult but successful process of creating condominiums in Novograd-Volynskiy was presented by Volodymyr Zahryvyi, City Mayor. The first condominium in the city was established in 2003 and today there are 30. The Federation of condominiums "Victoria" and NGO "Council of Condominiums` Leaders" were established in the city. Novograd-Volynskiy City Council has been an active partner of UNDP/MGSDP since 2005. Ever since, it has widely used community-based local development approach and supported 22 communities in implementation of projects for local sustainable development. Anatoly Blyzniuk recommended to disseminate city`s experience in establishing condominiums throughout Ukraine.
During the plenary session Leonid Tulovskiy, Quality Management Specialist of UNDP Project “Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Programme” presented educational and professional programmess for training specialists in management of multi-apartment houses. These programmes were elaborated under support of UNDP/MGSDP.
At the end, the Congress the participants will consider a final declaration, which outlines the priorities for housing and municipal economy reform.
The declaration envisages elaboration of a single national targeted programme on modernization and development of housing and municipal economy. It proposes smooth raising of the rates for housing and municipal services in line with the economically justified costs of enterprises and introduction of the incentive-based model of rate setting and wide public involvement in formulating housing policy and the reform of housing and municipal economy.
For more information, contact Galyna Smirnova, Monitoring and Communications Officer, tel. (044) 584-34-75 or e-mail: galyna.smirnova at undp.org.ua
