Customs is in focus: 46% to salaries, staff rotation and “zero responsibility”
6 June 2025 22:27
On April 1, 2025, Ukraine launched a systemic reform of the customs service, which includes not only personnel changes but also improved funding. A key element of the new policy is a 46% increase in salaries for customs officials, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing the words of Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergiy Marchenko.
The goal is to reduce the risks of corruption and make customs work more competitive with the public sector.
Recently, we have adopted a government decision to increase the salaries of customs officials and employees. Salaries in the customs system will increase by 46%,” said Marchenko.
He added that along with the one-and-a-half-fold increase in salaries, a mandatory polygraph test was introduced for all candidates for positions.
This practice, which has become a standard since April 1, aims to identify potential risks before employment and to ensure high-quality personnel selection,” the Minister of Finance of Ukraine explained.
He also reported that starting from May 5, 2025, a new staff rotation mechanism will be in place at the customs. This is intended to reduce the influence of local schemes and “closed offices”. Staff rotation helps to avoid getting used to specific flows and personnel, and also contributes to the renewal of the internal culture of the service.
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It is worth noting that Sergiy Marchenko made the above information public after MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak asked Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal about the state of customs reform.
The parliamentarian said the following:
“Mr. Denys Shmyhal, your government has been violating the law and disrupting the launch of the customs reboot for 6 months in a row. For some reason, your Minister of Finance ignored this issue in his answer yesterday. Now my question to you, as the head of the Government, is who exactly will bear political responsibility for the failure to comply with the law and the volume of smuggling?
After that, the Prime Minister of Ukraine replied that “by 17.06 there will be a customs reform plan, we are doing something, there is no money, but we have a plan and we are following it, soon everything will be ready, six months ago the government appointed a customs commissioner, but it is not working, but we are very concerned, we meet every week and discuss what is being done.”
Meanwhile, despite the growth of nominal incomes, not all Ukrainians feel a real improvement in their financial situation. The reason for this is inflation and a shortage of personnel in the labor market.
According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the average salary in the country as of the first quarter of 2025 is UAH 23,460, or just over $560. Compared to the same period in 2024 (UAH 21,473), the increase was almost UAH 2,000.
Although nominal wages are growing, inflation is eating away at a portion of Ukrainians’ income, so real income is growing much more slowly. According to NBU analysts, wage increases are often a forced step for employers who cannot find workers.
Despite the positive dynamics, experts do not predict a sharp increase in wages in 2025. The expectations of Ukrainians are already in line with the market opportunities for employers. In addition, the public sector has limited resources to raise wages, while private businesses are focused on survival and cost optimization.
Thus, the average salary in Ukraine is growing, but this does not guarantee an improvement in welfare. Inflation, tax burden and economic instability make Ukrainians cautious about their finances. The situation on the labor market is stabilizing, but global changes are possible only with the growth of labor productivity and structural reforms.
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