The state cashback program “Buy Ukrainian” is 100% ready, but will be presented after March 28, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Rostyslav Shurma said at KIEF TALKS on Friday.
“I’m not going to tell you the details of this program right now, not because it doesn’t exist. It is 100% complete. I would tell you if today was March 28. If there were a couple of international meetings where questions could arise,” Shurma said.
Outlining the basic principles, he pointed out that people will receive “decent cashback” for buying local goods. At the same time, the methodology by which a product can be classified as a local product has also been developed.
Mr. Shurma clarified that the program provides for mandatory cashless payments with a fiscal check. In addition, the seller must be a taxpayer under the general taxation system.
As reported, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the launch of the Buy Ukrainian cashback program, under which Ukrainian citizens will be able to receive compensation for part of the payment for Ukrainian goods and services.
“For the purchase of certain types of goods and services made in Ukraine, Ukrainian citizens will be able to receive a refund of part of the money on a special card,” the president explained.
In February, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko said that it would take about three months to develop the documents necessary to implement the program.
Earlier it was reported that the state budget for 2024 envisages UAH 45 billion for various business support programs, but there is no cashback program among them. In addition, according to media reports, the government’s debt under the largest of the state programs – partial compensation of the 5-7-9 interest rate – is currently about UAH 7 billion.
Ukraine’s trade deficit in 2023 amounted to $37.7 billion, mainly due to a widening of the negative balance of trade in goods: both due to a decrease in exports and an increase in imports.
