Number of districts in Ukraine should be reduced by three times

The number of districts in Ukraine should be reduced by three times as part of a new phase of decentralization reform regarding the formation of a subregional level, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

Censor.NET reports citing Interfax. 

"Currently, there are 490 districts on the map. It is proposed to merge them and reduce their number by three times. In fact, the existing district division was formed back in the times of the USSR in the first half of the previous century. It does not meet many modern standards, so we need to restore order," Shmyhal said.

According to him, today there are districts where only 5,000 people live, and there are districts where more than 180,000 people live. "There are big distortions in subventions, subsidies, the ability of these districts," he said.

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In addition, Shmyhal said that the current districts had been formed so long ago that they no longer meet modern standards.