Ukrainian entrepreneurs say end of war is the main condition for business development
19 September 2025 20:35
An August survey by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting showed that more than 8 out of 10 Ukrainian entrepreneurs consider the end of the war to be a key factor in improving business conditions. The survey also outlined priorities in tax policy, the labor market and investment expectations, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Key results of the survey
According to the IER, 89% of Ukrainian entrepreneurs consider the end of the war to be the main condition for business development. Tax cuts are in second place, with 37.6% of respondents choosing it. The third place is occupied by the issue of booking employees – 25.1%.
Oksana Kuzyakiv, Executive Director of the IER, notes:
“The event ‘end of the war’ ranks first in all our semi-annual measurements. This is the key factor that, according to respondents, affects the business environment. The second place is taken by tax cuts, which is almost 10 percentage points less than in January.”
Other factors affecting business
The surveyed entrepreneurs also noted
- assistance in entering new markets;
- search for partners and customers;
- deregulation;
- return of Ukrainians from abroad;
- freezing taxes;
- affordable loans;
- direct budget support programs.
Indices and expectations
In August, the index of business confidence rose after two months of decline, from 0.05 to 0.08. Production expectations improved significantly, with the share of optimists rising to 46.8%.
The main obstacles to business activity remain:
- labor shortage – 62%;
- security risks and price increases – 52% each.
Survey methodology
The survey was conducted on August 19-29 among 474 industrial enterprises from 21 regions of Ukraine.
Context
The average dollar exchange rate included in the budgets for 2026 by the EBA CEOs is UAH 46 per dollar.
