The "National Cashback" program, which provides a 10% reimbursement on the cost of Ukrainian-made products, is showing positive dynamics, with changes in consumer behavior being recorded, stated Andrey Telyupa, the Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
"In certain categories, we are already witnessing a significant shift in demand from imported goods to Ukrainian ones. The 'National Cashback' has become the most effective communication program to support Ukrainian producers," he noted in an interview with the "Interfax-Ukraine" agency.
As the deputy minister explained, previously, to change consumer habits, the ministry relied on patriotic sentiments through the labeling of goods as "Зроблено в Україні" ("Made in Ukraine") and encouraged purchasing Ukrainian products, but the effect was minimal. However, after incorporating "gamification" and monetization, the ministry observed substantial changes in consumer behavior. As of October 1, there were 1.7 million active participants in the program, and within three months of the program's operation, their number rose to 4.5 million.
"Our main goal is to make Ukrainian goods the number one choice. We want buyers to look for Ukrainian products first when they enter a store. While it's difficult to quantify these changes, we are already seeing results in the largest retail chains – Ukrainian products have moved from the bottom to the 'golden' shelf," Telyupa explained.
He added that funds have already been allocated for the program's operation in 2025, and the ministry is working on additional funding sources.
As reported, the amount of accumulated funds under the "National Cashback" program has increased by 70% since November, reaching 436 million UAH in December.
The number of participating producers has consistently grown since the program's launch, currently totaling 1,665. Additionally, 17 banks are participants in the program, including PrivatBank, monobank, Ukrgasbank, Sense Bank, PUMB, A-bank, Bank Globus, UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group, Oschadbank, Akkordbank, Bank Credit Dnipro, Praveks Bank, Clearing House, Radabank, Raiffeisen, and OTR Bank.