It would seem that when there is a war, everything should work for victory. However, the local officials use the funds for needs that are far from the demands of martial law. One of the “priority” needs was a stadium in the village of Mahala in Bukovyna. The local authorities opened a tender on Prozorro. The cost of construction works was estimated at more than UAH 16 million. There was no response to people’s appeals to the State Audit Service. Meanwhile, “GARANTELIT” LLC won the tender and received a tasty piece of the budget pie. On October 31, the contract was signed.

But not the stadium only! In addition to the streets and stadiums, local officials decided to overhaul the square in the Sadhora neighborhood. Reconstruction cost the city UAH 16,499,694 from the budget. Seven million are planned to be allocated for the reconstruction of the fountain on Virgin Mary Square. Two million was allocated for planting new trees. Major repairs to one of the entrances to the city’s “Kalynivskyi Rynok” have begun. The other day, the townspeople were informed that it was decided to build an underground shelter with a parking lot on Theater Square. More than UAH 700,000 can be spent on the development of architectural documentation. It is also planned to reconstruct the Central Square, the project and estimate documentation of which will cost UAH 1.8 million, the fountain alone — UAH 700,000. They also intend to carry out a complete reconstruction of the premises of the “Chernivtsi” cinema concert hall, repairs in Shevchenko Park, Zhovtnevyi Park and the town hall itself.

The plans of the officials included one more capital repair — reconstruction of a street in the center of Chernivtsi at a cost of UAH 48,108,835. However, no company submitted an application. Officials should stop here, but the Department of Infrastructure and Public Works plans to restart the procedure.

The citizens of Chernivtsi, observing the excessive ambitions of their elected officials, ask themselves: is there really a war going on in the country? Concerned citizens went to the protest action, thereby joining the all-Ukrainian protest, which covered the largest cities of Ukraine.

Reconstruction of stadiums, repair of gymnasiums, squares, summer theater, skate park, playgrounds, arrangement of an observation deck with a panoramic view of the city for tourists… Is all this so urgent during the war? While the local government spends budget funds, and the people themselves donate almost everything, they have. They urgently raise funds for the night vision device for the 92nd battalion of the 107th separate brigade of the territorial defense forces. The asking price is not some millions, but only 190 thousand hryvnias. ChNU students collect UAH 20-50 each for their teacher, who is currently on the front lines. And there are dozens of such initiatives.

When will the government give the last one? Will they learn to manage budget funds in accordance with wartime conditions?