The draft State Budget for 2025 provides for the restoration of the State Regional Development Fund (RDF) with financing in the amount of UAH 1 billion. According to People's Deputy, head of the subcommittee on administrative-territorial organization and local self-government Vitaly Bezgin, this step was the result of the joint work of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development, the specialized committee of the Verkhovna Rada and other authorities.
"DFRR is coming back. The draft Budget-2025 for the second reading provides for the return of the fund. Test in the amount of UAH 1 billion," Bezgin wrote on Facebook, confirming the importance of this initiative.
This fund should become an important tool for financing regional development projects. At the same time, the people's deputy noted that the distribution of funds will be carried out through the participation budget in large cities, which will avoid "manual" distribution, which was often criticized in the past.
The restoration of the FDRR is connected with important changes in the budget policy. Bezgin noted that the next step will be to amend the Budget Code to restore the official status of the fund as an instrument for the implementation of regional projects.
Despite positive steps, the effectiveness of the fund's use has been questioned in the past due to political influences that could affect the quality and validity of funding allocations. However, with a new approach and transparent mechanisms for allocating funds to the participation budget in cities, hopes for improving the effectiveness of this fund are growing.
