Local Government Reform in Komi: a look from inside

The subject for the regular Forest Dialogue in October 5-6 in Syktyvkar initiated by Silver Taiga Foundation was the problem of local government revival on the settlement level. It was no coincidence that the issue of the local government formation emerged: the “Forest Village” project is aimed at the sustainable development of the area which is not possible without the efficient local government and local population participation in taking vital decisions.

Heads and deputies from “forest villages”, scientists from the Institute of the Socio-Economic and Energy Problems of the North, the Head of the Komi Republic Management and Public Service Academy, representatives of the Silver Taiga Foundation and Municipality Council of the Republic of Komi took part in the conversation about local government.

As was discovered, all settlements have similar problems; but these problems are not discussed publicly. The Local Government Coordination Committee founded by the Head of the Republic does not include a single settlement representative. The Republic of Komi also lacks Local Government Development Plan.

After two-day talk on such issues as budgets, significance of local nature resources and opportunities of local communities in territorial public government the participants of the “Forest Dialogue” came to a conclusion. The suggestion of Alexander Maximov, the head of the department of the Institute of the Socio-Economic and Energy Problems of the North, on the necessity of creation of state funded reservations in the areas of native rural population residence sounded desirable. Other participants expressed the following ideas: “weak regions must be given a chance to survive”, “the world is the archipelago of luxury with lumpen fringes”, and “we have to fight for the fair resources profit distribution”…

The decision was taken to move in the outlined direction. At first, experts have to be found and a round-table conference on the problem of settlement budget leveling-off in the Republic of Komi is to take place. One more round-table conference was decided to be held on the issue of entrepreneurship in the forest villages that have become part of the “Forest Village” project.

Przemyslaw Maewski, Director of Silver Taiga Foundation, expressed his gratitude to the members of the dialogue for their contribution, whereas the participants noted the integrated approach to the settlement problems.

Besides, the publication of the booklet “Local Government Reform in Komi: a look from inside” was intended to coincide with the “Forest Dialogue”. The three authors – Irina Andrievskaya, Head of the Voldino rural settlement, Albert Loginov, deputy of the Udorsky municipal district, and Tamara Makarova, deputy of the Nizhny Odes urban settlement, hope that it will become a good motive for further discussion of local government problems.