In Drohobych, preparations for the heating season are at risk due to blocked payments
In the Drohobych community in Lviv Oblast, the amount of unpaid local budget expenditures due to the blocking of treasury payments has reached 40.7 million hryvnias. Delays in funding could affect the operations of municipal utilities, the payment of employee salaries, and the city’s preparations for the heating season.
According to the city council, as of October 1, the amount of unpaid payments for non-priority expenditure items exceeded 28 million hryvnias. By October 12, it had increased by another 12.6 million hryvnias, reaching a total of 40.7 million hryvnias.
Among the blocked expenditures are funds for the following community needs:
- 15,369,800 UAH — payment of salaries to employees;
- 5.9 million UAH — major repairs;
- 1.7 million UAH — purchase of equipment;
- 102,000 UAH — travel expenses;
- other community needs.
City council officials emphasize that delays in making payments could create additional difficulties for municipal utilities and complicate the completion of planned work.
The issue of blocked or delayed treasury payments affects not only Drohobych but also other cities in Ukraine.
According to the city council’s assessment, funding delays could complicate preparations for the heating season and pose risks to the stable operation of utility companies. Additionally, the city may face fines and penalties due to late payments.
Drohobych Mayor Taras Kuchma, together with leaders of other municipalities—particularly within the framework of the Association of Ukrainian Cities—has called on the Cabinet of Ministers and members of parliament to resolve the situation without delay.
“Communities are not asking for additional funds—they are asking for the opportunity to use their own resources, which are already available in local budgets. Because behind every unpaid bill lie the specific needs of people: preparations for the heating season, the operation of utility companies, and the provision of services to residents.
Prolonged payment delays create problems even where communities have the financial capacity to meet their obligations. We urge the responsible government agencies to respond immediately and ensure that treasury payments are made on time,” reads Taras Kuchma’s statement.
The problem with treasury payments has arisen not only in the Drohobych community. Delays have also been reported in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk, and the Association of Ukrainian Cities has appealed to the government to resolve the situation.
According to the Association of Ukrainian Cities, the delays affect more than just the payment of salaries to employees of municipal utilities. Municipalities are also reporting restrictions on their ability to purchase fuel for vehicles dispatched to provide medical assistance or clear debris following Russian shelling.
In addition, payments for work and equipment for medical, educational, and social institutions are being delayed, as are expenses related to preparations for the heating season and the implementation of resilience plans.
Amid these issues with treasury payments, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi announced that he is forgoing his salary due to the delays in payments to utility workers.
Subsequently, Yuriy Kholod, acting chairman of the Lviv Regional Council, also announced that he would forgo his salary, supporting the position of the mayor of Lviv.
The Drohobych community is calling on government agencies to unblock payments as soon as possible so that local budgets can meet their financial obligations, ensure the operation of utility services, and continue preparations for winter.
This was reported on Wednesday, October 14, by the press service of the Drohobych City Council.
There is no single date for the start of the heating season in Ukraine. Decisions on when to begin heat supply are made by local authorities, taking into account temperature, the technical condition of the networks, and the security situation.
Ukraine is entering the heating season better prepared than last year, the prime minister stated. At the same time, he emphasized that the winter will not be easy, despite additional generating capacity, backup power, and enhanced infrastructure protection.
