In February of this year, Naftogaz Group paid UAH 5.8 billion in taxes, which is 9.4% more than in the same period in 2024, the company said on Thursday.
In particular, the state budget received UAH 5.2 billion, while in February 2024 this amount was UAH 4.8 billion. At the same time, UAH 530 million was paid to local budgets (UAH 506 million, respectively).
“Despite all the challenges of the war and constant attacks on the energy infrastructure, Naftogaz ensures the country’s energy stability and support for the national economy,” said Roman Chumak, the head of the group, as quoted in the report.
As reported, in the first month of 2025, Naftogaz Group companies paid UAH 5.2 billion in taxes to the state budget, which is 7.1% less than in January 2024 (UAH 5.6 billion). At the same time, tax payments to local budgets increased by 14.5% to UAH 591 million in January compared to the same period last year.
According to the results of 2024, Naftogaz Group companies paid UAH 88.6 billion in taxes to the general budget, including UAH 81.8 billion to the state budget and UAH 6.8 billion to local budgets.
In addition, in 2024, NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine paid UAH 15.7 billion in dividends to the state.
Last year, non-resident companies supplying electronic services declared UAH 12.1 billion in VAT, of which they paid UAH 11.2 billion, which is almost 40% more than in 2023, Danylo Hetmantsev, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy, said in his telegram channel on Sunday.
According to him, the number of payers of the “Google tax” increased by 29 non-residents over the year to 130 as of January 1, 2025.
“Having reported for the fourth quarter of 2024, budget revenues in January-February 2025 amounted to about UAH 3.5 billion (EUR 39.5 million and $43.5 million). I would like to note that the trend is only increasing, because compared to the same period in 2024, revenues increased by UAH 1 billion,” the Chairman of the Rada Committee cited the data.
Hetmantsev noted that the leaders in the declaration of VAT on digital services in the fourth quarter of last year were Google, Apple, VALVE CORPORATION, ETSY, META platforms, WARGAMING GROUP, Sony and Netflix.
“By the way, Bolt and Uklon platforms have paid about EUR4.5 million or UAH 200 million in tax in 2024,” he emphasized.
As reported, in 2021, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law on the “Google tax”, which proposes to equalize the taxation rules for international technology companies with those of Ukraine. In particular, it stipulates that international companies operating in the information space of Ukraine and earning money from online advertising will pay taxes in Ukraine, including VAT.
Metinvest Group’s Central, Ingulets and Northern Mining and Processing Plants (MPPs), which were transformed into United Mining and Processing Plant (UMPP), paid UAH 5.7 billion in taxes in 2024.
According to the company’s press release on Wednesday, in 2023, YuGOK, Central GOK and InGOK transferred UAH 2.2 billion to the state and municipal budgets.
“Thus, mining and processing enterprises remain a reliable pillar of Ukraine even during the war,” the press service states.
It is specified that in 2024, the main source of budget revenues was the tax on the use of subsoil, which amounted to UAH 2.7 billion. A significant share of deductions is accounted for by a single social contribution (UAH 673 million) and personal income tax (UAH 595 million). The environmental tax and land fees also contribute to the state and local budgets.
“It is the mining and metals companies that are the largest taxpayers and support the Ukrainian economy despite the war and challenges. These funds are needed for the social sector – healthcare, education, and most importantly, they support Ukraine’s defense capability. Metinvest’s Kryvyi Rih GOKs also remain one of the main employers in the region, providing jobs for thousands of specialists, including veterans returning from the war,” said Igor Tonev, CEO of Metinvest’s United GOKs.
As a reminder, Metinvest Group, including its associates and joint ventures, increased its payment of taxes and fees to budgets of all levels by 36% in 2024 to UAH 19.8 billion compared to 2023.
As reported earlier, Metinvest has implemented a new model for the operation of its Kryvyi Rih mining and processing enterprises, bringing together mining and processing plants in Kryvyi Rih under a single management.
In 2023, the Group’s Kryvyi Rih enterprises paid a total of UAH 4.6 billion in taxes and fees to the budgets of all levels.
“Metinvest comprises mining and metallurgical enterprises located in Ukraine, Europe and the United States. Its major shareholders are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage it.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
Metinvest Group’s Kametstal plant, which was built at the facilities of Dnipro Metallurgical Plant (Kamianske, Dnipro region), increased its tax and fee payments by 30% in 2024 compared to 2023, to almost UAH 2.815 billion.
According to a press release, the plant has remained a steady support for Ukraine’s economy for the third consecutive year of war, despite all the objective difficulties.
“Almost UAH 639 million, which is 34 million more than in 2023, was received by the budget of the city of Kamianske. The regional and state budgets received almost UAH 2.176 billion,” the company says.
It is specified that the largest contributions to the budgets of different levels are the unified social tax – almost UAH 457 million (+14% by 2023), land payments to the local budget increased by UAH 21.5 million compared to 2023 and amounted to more than UAH 386 million (+6% by 2023). The personal income tax is also significant – almost UAH 394 million (+12% by 2023), and the military fee amounted to UAH 37 million (+28% by 2023).
Environmental tax increased by 17.5% compared to 2023, to UAH 181 million.
Yevgeniya Zamiashvili, CFO of the plant, noted that Kametstal, along with all the company’s enterprises, works for the country’s economy, remaining a stable producer of demanded steel products and a responsible taxpayer in the most difficult times.
“As a key enterprise in the city, we remain the largest donor to the city budget. The company’s responsible deduction of funds in full means supporting stable salary payments to employees of the city’s utilities, ensuring the operation of medical facilities and the most important city programs,” said the CFO.
The press service reminds that in 2024, Metinvest Group, including its associates and joint ventures, increased the payment of taxes and fees to the budgets of all levels in Ukraine by 36% compared to 2023, up to UAH 19.8 billion.
As reported earlier, in 2023, KAMETSTAL increased its payment of taxes and duties by 34.8% compared to 2022, to UAH 2.154 billion. “In 2022, KAMETSTAL paid UAH 1.598 billion in taxes and fees, which is higher than in 2021.
“Kametstal was created on the basis of PJSC Dnipro Coke Plant (DKKhZ) and CMC of PJSC Dnipro Metallurgical Plant (DMK).
According to the 2020 report of Metinvest Group’s parent company, Metinvest B.V. (Netherlands) owned 100% of the shares in DCCP.
Metinvest Group’s Central, Ingulets and Northern Mining and Processing Plants (MPPs), which were transformed into United Mining and Processing Plants (UMPP) in January-September 2024, paid UAH 4.7 billion in taxes, up twice year-on-year.
According to the company’s press release on Thursday, in the same period last year, the GOKs paid UAH 2.3 billion.
Igor Tonev, CEO of the GOKs, noted that despite the wartime situation, Metinvest’s GOKs remain not only an economic support for the region but also the largest employer.
“We continue to implement a veteran policy for defenders who are gradually returning to their jobs from the front, retrain our specialists and train new team members, adapt and create the most efficient model of mining enterprises today. In addition, mining and processing plants systematically support Kryvyi Rih and communities by implementing joint humanitarian, educational and infrastructure projects,” Tonev emphasized.
As reported earlier, Metinvest is implementing a new model for the operation of Kryvyi Rih mining enterprises, uniting the mining and processing plants in Kryvyi Rih under a single management.
“Given the current challenges, with no objective way to bring the workload of the GOKs to the optimal level, we are looking for the effect of combining their capabilities and business processes. To this end, the company sees its GOKs not as separate facilities with separate teams, but as one large production site and one large team, and tries to use the advantages of each GOK in a single technological chain. The creation of a single administrative and management center, so to speak, a consolidated GOK, will significantly simplify, speed up and increase the efficiency of these processes, as well as contribute to the creation of new synergies between the enterprises,” explained Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of Metinvest, earlier.
“Metinvest comprises mining and metallurgical enterprises located in Ukraine, Europe and the United States. Its main shareholders are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage it.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
Bulgaria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Georgi Takhov asked the European Commission to take safeguard measures against honey imports from Ukraine at a meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council, and his request was supported by a representative of Romania, the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture reported.
According to Takhov, imports of Ukrainian honey make it difficult to sell local products. The fact is that significant volumes of Ukrainian honey entering the European market at very low prices put a lot of pressure on Bulgarian honey prices.
“In addition to the many challenges facing the industry, over the past three years it has also faced competition from imports from Ukraine. The volume of honey imported from Ukraine to our country from January to October 2024 increased by more than 30% compared to the same period last year,” Takhov emphasized and added that the high level of imports from Ukraine puts Bulgarian producers in a difficult situation.
At a press conference following the meeting of EU agriculture ministers, Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy explained that Bulgaria and Romania demanded safeguard measures for imports of honey from Ukraine to the European Union, as the duty-free quota set in the autonomous trade liberalization has been exhausted, and “the duty creates problems in domestic markets burdened by imports.”
“The measure – the so-called ATM regulation – has been exhausted, but the amount of honey coming from Ukraine is still subject to duty, which also creates problems in domestic markets that are burdened by imports,” the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture quoted him as saying.
Nagy emphasized that effective measures should be taken to prevent counterfeit honey from entering the EU market, for example, by labeling and separating natural and non-natural honey. He also believes that it is necessary to compensate for the “emerging competitive disadvantages” and to further support the beekeeping sector.
As reported, on August 20, the European Commission imposed tariff quotas on Ukrainian honey due to the excess of quota-free volumes of its supplies to the European market. Imports of honey from Ukraine from the beginning of 2024 to August exceeded the quota of 44.418 thousand tons. Additional imports are subject to most favored nation (MFN) duties. In particular, a new tariff quota will be introduced from January 1, 2025, until June 5, 2025, which corresponds to 5/12 of the threshold set for the emergency braking. For honey, the new quota will amount to 18,507 tons.
From June 2, 2024 to June 5, 2025, the European Commission introduced quotas for the supply of eggs and sugar to the European Union. For eggs, the new quota is set at 9,662 thousand tons, and for sugar – at 109,44 thousand tons.
On May 13, 2024, the Council of the European Union approved the extension of temporary trade liberalization measures for Ukraine for another year, until June 5, 2025. At the same time, it was envisaged to apply an emergency braking mechanism for particularly sensitive agricultural products, including sugar, eggs, poultry, oats, corn, honey, and cereals, in case imports of these products in 2024 exceed the average volumes recorded in the second half of 2021 and during 2022 and 2023. Similar emergency braking measures may be applied in 2025 if, in the period from January 1 to June 5, 2025, the volume of Ukrainian exports exceeds 5/12 of the quota set for 2024.
According to Art. 4(7) of the Regulation on autonomous trade measures applicable to Ukrainian products, Ukraine will be able to supply to the EU from June 6, 2024 to June 5, 2025 without paying any duty 57,101 thousand tons of poultry meat, 9,662 thousand tons of eggs, 109,439 thousand tons of sugar, 18,507 thousand tons of honey, 4.648 million tons of corn, 1,017 thousand tons of oats, 8,603 thousand tons of cereals.
