A working group of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine headed by First Deputy Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy Minister Viacheslav Nehoda has started designing a model for developing mountainous and high mountain areas of Carpathian Mountains, the ministry's press service has reported.

"The specifics of the terrain makes the territory difficult to access, which translates into low business activity, low investment, high labor migration. It is difficult for mountain territories to compete with others in order to ensure their development. We must develop a policy of sustainable development of the Carpathian Mountains," the press service of the Regional Development Ministry reported, citing Nehoda.

According to him, the working group will develop mechanisms for the development of the infrastructure of the region, tools for creating jobs and business development and submit them for consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers.

According to the Regional Development Ministry, the working group was established on behalf of Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman. It included representatives of nine ministries, as well as Zakarpattia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi regional administrations and councils. The first meeting of the group was held on May 10.

The press service of the Regional Development Ministry also reminded that in March the Cabinet of Ministers sent bill No. 8154 amending certain legislative acts of Ukraine on sustainable development and creating new jobs in mountainous and high mountain settlements to the Verkhovna Rada.

According to an explanatory note to the bill, the government proposes to establish the increased coefficients for the calculation of public medical and educational subventions for mountainous and high mountain settlements. In addition, the bill provides for the development and financing of state programs to stimulate the development of mountain areas, as well as the introduction of measures to improve sewage treatment plants.

In addition, the government proposes to reduce the minimum area of an industrial park in mountainous areas to 10 hectares with an existing minimum of 15 hectares for any area.