“eAkcyz” Is Not Ready for Operation: Getmantsev Demands the Dismissal of the Acting Minister of Digital Transformation
2 July 13:36
“eAkcyz” is not ready for full-scale operation. And the Ministry of Digital Transformation is to blame for this. This was stated by Danylo Getmantsev, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada’s Tax Committee . The MP is demanding the dismissal of Acting Minister O. Bornyakov, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
“Now, let’s look more closely at the situation with eAkciz. I was approached by the business community—specifically, all businesses related to the alcohol and tobacco markets: the American Chamber of Commerce, the ICC, the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FRU), the Union of Tobacco Producers of Ukraine (SUP), Ukrvodka, and the Ukrainian Federation of Alcoholic Beverages (UFRA). After a meeting with the Ministry of Digital Transformation team this week, the business community concluded that the e-Excise software is completely unprepared (the software was supposed to enter testing on January 1, 2026),” Getmantsev wrote.
According to him, this means that the state will not only fail to collect approximately 50 billion UAH from the market’s formalization but will also lose 0.5 billion UAH daily starting November 1, 2026.
Furthermore, the head of the Tax Committee claims that, despite this, the Ministry of Digital Transformation accepted software from a contractor that does not actually work as if it were functional, finalizing the relevant contract with acceptance reports and initiating funding for another contract to “improve” the software.
“Additionally, I want to address the business community directly. I am convinced that it is also obvious to you that all of the Bornyakovs’ staged slide shows, combined with their group dances, are aimed at one thing—pretending that the software has been tested since January, since the business community remained silent about the shortcomings, and then suddenly it was the business community—not the officials—that turned out to be unprepared for the system’s implementation,” the MP wrote.
Getmantsev blames former Minister of Digital Transformation M. Fedorov and Acting Minister O. Bornyakov for the software’s continued inoperability, the failure of the reform, and the budget losses.
“I demand that the Prime Minister of Ukraine immediately dismiss O. Bornyakov from his duties as minister due to professional incompetence, to assign those duties to a competent professional, and to create an interagency group involving relevant ministries to prevent further damage to the state,” – wrote Getmantsev.
eAkciz: A Meeting Between Business and the Ministry
As a reminder, on June 29, the European Business Association held a roundtable dedicated to preparations for the implementation of the eAkciz system.
The event was attended by market operators, representatives from the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, the State Tax Service, the State Customs Service, and ELEKS, the system’s developer. Participants discussed the readiness of the eExcise functionality, the status of integration processes, and risks to the market’s uninterrupted operation following the system’s planned launch.
Business representatives noted that as of the end of June, the eAkciz system lacks the necessary functionality. According to the companies’ assessment, both technical and legislative issues remain unresolved, despite the fact that businesses were given approximately 10 months to test the system.
“At present, companies cannot confirm that, starting November 1, the production, circulation, sale, and fiscal tracking of excise goods will operate without interruption. Among the key unresolved issues, businesses cite the offline application’s lack of readiness and the absence of functionality to reflect changes to customs declarations,” notes Svitlana Mykhailovska, Deputy Director of the European Business Association.
Participants emphasized that a system failure after launch could have significant consequences for the state budget. According to business estimates, daily losses in excise tax revenue in such a scenario could exceed 500 million hryvnias.
Following the discussion, the business community called for:
- ensure the system is ready for comprehensive testing involving the business community, the State Tax Service, and the State Migration Service;
- to immediately eliminate legislative gaps and conflicts that could hinder the launch of eAkciz;
- prepare a contingency plan and the necessary legislative changes in case the system is not ready by the specified launch date.
Oleksandr Bornyakov, Acting Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, emphasized that the launch of eExcise remains one of the Ministry’s key priorities. According to him, the Ministry of Digital Transformation does not plan to delay the system’s launch and is focused on handing it over to businesses by the end of July for full integration.
UFRA Executive Director Natalia Petrivska noted that, despite the fact that all system modules have been developed, eAkcyz still contains a significant number of technical errors, and the system’s functionality is constantly changing and being updated. This makes it impossible for businesses to conduct thorough testing and to develop and configure their own IT solutions in parallel within the specified timeframes.
In addition, the developer has not yet implemented the functionality to test the system’s operation in offline mode, which is critically important for market operators. Under these circumstances, there is a significant risk that the system will not be technically ready for a full-scale launch, and that participants in the excise-taxed goods market will not have sufficient time for timely integration and full-scale operation within the system as of November 1, 2026.
“We urge the relevant authorities to take all risks into account and facilitate the necessary steps to ensure proper, predictable, and uninterrupted preparation for the implementation of eAcciz. Furthermore, given the resurgence of the trend toward an increase in the share of the shadow market for tobacco products—which, according to a new study by Kantar Ukraine, reached 19.8% as of April of this year— it is important to avoid creating any conditions that would only contribute to the further growth of the illegal market for excise goods,” noted Oksana Shvets, Deputy Director of the Department of Strategic Development for European Integration at the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine.
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This is not the first time Getmantsev has criticized the Ministry of Digital Transformation
This is not the first time Getmantsev has had grievances against the ministry. In early January, he accused the Ministry of Digital Transformation of derailing the launch of “eAkciz” on January 1.
“The launch of ‘eAkciz’ on January 1, 2026—one of the most ambitious projects to combat the black market for alcohol and tobacco—was derailed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation,” the MP wrote at the time.
According to him, to avoid paralyzing the market for excise goods, a law was passed as quickly as possible, and the implementation of “e-Excise” was postponed to November 1, 2026.
The MP believes that the Ministry of Digital Transformation’s additional 10-month delay in software development carries the risk of billions in losses for the budget and significant losses for businesses.
As previously reported, the start of mandatory labeling of all excise goods (alcohol, tobacco, and e-cigarette liquids) with electronic stamps in Ukraine and the implementation of the Electronic Circulation System for these products have been postponed by 10 months. The new launch date is November 1, 2026, instead of January 1, 2026.
As explained at the time, the postponement is due to the need for additional preparation of the market and key operators for the transition to e-excise, the need to minimize internal risks for legitimate businesses and consumers, and the need to align all regulatory acts with the updated dates.
Ministry of Digital Transformation Accuses MP of Discrediting It
On June 3, the Ministry of Digital Transformation stated that MP and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada’s Finance Committee Danylo Getmantsev has been waging a months-long campaign to discredit the ministry. In a statement posted on the ministry’s website, officials reported that for nearly a year, the lawmaker has been systematically discrediting the ministry through manipulation, distortion of facts and concepts, false claims, and outright defamation.
Previously, Getmantsev had also repeatedly criticized the Ministry of Digital Transformation’s activities in the gambling sector. In particular, he claimed that the ministry was deliberately avoiding setting limits for players in order to favor gambling operators.
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