New taxes to secure an IMF loan: Yuzhanina discusses whether there will be enough votes in Parliament
28 May 21:02
ANALYSIS
The main issue in Ukraine’s negotiations with the IMF has been and remains the package of tax initiatives. Initially, the IMF demanded a package of radical measures and even classified them as “prior actions.” The package included the introduction of VAT for sole proprietors starting in 2027, a tax on all international parcels regardless of their value and on digital platforms, and the extension of the military levy into the post-war period.
In essence, this amounts to a massive expansion of the tax base. While many Ukrainians currently use international online stores without additional fees for small orders, this practice may be eliminated in the future. At the same time, the government seeks to gain greater control over revenues generated through digital services and platforms.
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Nina Yuzhanina, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax, and Customs Policy , confirmedin a comment to "Komersant Ukrainian" that these requirements are directly included in the agreements with the International Monetary Fund. At the same time, she expressed disappointment that some of the commitments, which were previously discussed only in the context of cooperation with the IMF, have now been incorporated into the European Union’s macro-financial assistance memorandum.
“What is most surprising and generally disappointing is that a number of projects and commitments undertaken under the agreement with the IMF have been transferred to the memorandum on macro-financial assistance as part of the 90-billion-euro loan from the European Union,” the lawmaker stated.
According to her, the Ukrainian side could have proposed alternative sources of budget revenue that would not affect such a large number of citizens. At the same time, the current version of the amendments, in her opinion, creates additional hardship for people and businesses.
Separately, Yuzhanina criticized the process of reviewing draft laws in the Verkhovna Rada. She stated that a significant portion of lawmakers vote without fully understanding the content of the documents.
“Perhaps we’ll still be able to gather votes through digital platforms, because based on the process as it stands today, it means that those who haven’t understood the issues will be the ones voting. That’s the worst part of it all,” she said.
The lawmaker also accused the parliament’s leadership of poorly organizing the review of amendments and failing to adequately inform lawmakers about the actual content of legislative initiatives.
According to Yuzhanina, many lawmakers today are unable to hear an alternative perspective because discussions often take place in what is effectively an “empty chamber.”
“Because I’m speaking in an empty chamber, while on the other side, the committee chair is telling them completely wrong things. That’s all there is to it. So, if anyone actually looks into these bills, they definitely won’t vote for them,” the lawmaker concluded.
Despite the criticism, the likelihood of the tax changes being adopted remains high. Ukraine continues to depend on international financial support, and fulfilling the conditions set by the IMF and the EU is one of the key factors for receiving new aid tranches.
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