Public organizations have reached out to the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) requesting an anti-corruption examination of the National Revenue Strategy until 2030.
“We wish to draw the attention of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention to the fact that in the text of the mentioned National Revenue Strategy, we observe a significant number of corruption factors explicitly indicated in the Methodology for conducting anti-corruption examinations, which could have catastrophic consequences for both the private sector and the economy of Ukraine as a whole,” – is stated in the associations' statement on the website of the analytical center CASE Ukraine on Tuesday.
According to the statement, among the corruption factors of the National Strategy, the authors of the appeal highlight granting tax authorities access to banking secrecy, collecting tax debts without a court decision, and introducing grounds for inspections of entities under the simplified taxation system.
Moreover, the applicants believe that corruption may be facilitated by granting law enforcement functions to customs authorities, delegating additional tax powers to local government bodies, and establishing the principle of presumption of guilt for taxpayers.
It is noted that the National Revenue Strategy requires not just partial amendments but a complete overhaul and reapproval based on the principles of equality of control bodies and taxpayers before the law, presumption of legality of taxpayer decisions, and guarantees of protection of taxpayers' legal rights.
Additionally, public organizations insist on establishing clear safeguards to prevent any corruption and other abuses by tax and customs authorities.
The appeal was signed by the Ukrainian Business Council, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine, the Council of Cities for the Protection of Individual Entrepreneurs, the NGO "Association of Private Employers," the GS "NORT," the GS "National Platform for SMEs," the NGO "All-Ukrainian Professional Association of Entrepreneurs," the business association "4Business," the NGO "Microbusiness of Volyn," the NGO "UO Mriya," the NGO "Center for Public Control," the educational initiative "Last Capitalist," the NGO "Institute for Socio-Economic Transformation," and the GS "Center for Socio-Economic Studies - CASE Ukraine."
As reported, the National Revenue Strategy for 2024-2030, approved by the government on December 27, 2023, includes the lifting of the moratorium on documentary inspections by customs authorities in 2024.
This document will determine how the state will operate over the next six years and finance its needs, reducing dependence on partners.
According to the statement by the Ukrainian Business Council, which comprises 112 business associations from various sectors of the economy, representing 28,000 enterprises, the implementation of certain provisions of the National Strategy will negatively impact the economic and investment climate of the country and the economic recovery of Ukraine.