Ukrainian roads are in a terrible state, because the funds that the state allocates for their construction stay in the pockets of officials. This was stated by the MP from UKROP Oleksandr Shevchenko in the program “Right to Rule” on the air of “1+1” TV channel.
The parliamentarian has noted that today in Ukraine there are almost 120 thousand kilometers of local roads and 47 thousand kilometers of roads of state importance. For the reconstruction of all roads about 1.5 trillion hryvnias are needed.
“This is a fantastic number that is probably bigger than country’s budget. The pace and quality of reconstruction do not meet the worldwide standards of quality and financing. Most of the money is spent on building low-quality roads, or they simply disappear in the pockets of officials,” said Oleksandr Shevchenko.
According to the parliamentarian, construction of roads is delayed due to the lacking strategy for the development of regions. This year, local budgets have received about 11 billion hryvnias for roads construction. Usually these funds are distributed among the communities in a manual mode, and not basing on the principle of expediency.
“As a rule, local officials “smear” the money into the potholes, build 50 meters of the road in the village where the fellow, friend or brother lives or with some political motives,” said Oleksandr Shevchenko.
According to the UKROP member, the state should direct funds primarily to the construction of main roads, which connect the regions and districts, because they are the basis of the Ukrainian economy. In addition, companies engaged in the construction of roads should be responsible for their operation. Contractors should provide guarantees for the use of the road ways and repair them if necessary.
