Prime Minister of Ukraine

Yulia SVYRYDENKO

Minister of Finance of Ukraine

Serhiy MARCHENKO

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee

on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy

Danylo GETMANTSEV

First Deputy

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee

on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy

Yaroslav ZHELEZNYAK

Copy: Director of the Economic Security Bureau
Oleksandr TSIVINSKY

regarding ensuring adequate funding

for the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine

Ladies and gentlemen!

The Ukrainian Business Council (hereinafter referred to as the UBA), which is an association of business associations created to consolidate business and implement socially important reforms for the sustainable economic development of the country, comprising 125 business associations with 27,000 member companies from various sectors of the economy, would like to express our respect and address the following:

On September 10, 2025, a conference entitled “De-shadowing of Retail Trade and Services: The Most Vulnerable Sectors” was held with the participation of representatives of the UBA, during which key issues and the scale of the shadow economy were discussed, research results were analyzed, and the impact on the Ukrainian economy was assessed.

The conference participants touched upon the issue of the effective work of law enforcement agencies, in particular the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the ESB, Bureau). Particular attention was paid to the need for adequate material support for BEB detectives, including fair pay, as well as the need for additional funding in the 2026 State Budget to ensure decent wages, further expansion of the staff, and the creation of BEB regional offices in the regions.

The Ukrainian business community, operating in wartime conditions, is critically dependent on the effective work of law enforcement agencies, including the BEB. Therefore, the creation of an effective economic security system is a prerequisite for sustainable economic development, improvement of the investment climate, and strengthening of international partners’ confidence in Ukraine, as well as reducing the share of the shadow economy.

In view of the above, the members of the Ukrainian Business Council address the following proposals to you:

1. Ensure sufficient funding in the State Budget of Ukraine for 2026 for:

adequate material support for BEB detectives, including competitive salaries at the level of NABU and SAP employees;

expanding the staff and creating territorial offices of the BEB in the regions of Ukraine.

2. Take urgent measures to improve the financing of the BEB as early as 2025, in particular by amending the current budget or using reserve funds.
3. Amend subordinate regulatory acts governing the terms of remuneration and the procedure for awarding special ranks to BEB detectives.
4. Add the BEB to the list of Ukrainian state bodies that, in accordance with CMU Resolution No. 44 of January 15, 2004, are eligible for reimbursement of personal income tax (PIT) from the monetary allowance for all rank-and-file and senior personnel serving in law enforcement agencies (the National Police of Ukraine, NABU, and the State Bureau of Investigation).

Taking appropriate measures will contribute to the effective work of the Bureau, which is important for the economic security of the state, the fight against economic crime, and the shadow economy. It should be noted that reducing the shadow economy and cutting back on illegal or “gray” products in the most vulnerable sectors — technology/electronics, fuel, alcohol, and tobacco products — will bring tens of billions in additional tax revenues to the budget, improve the situation for legal manufacturers, and level the playing field, which will undoubtedly become one of the drivers of GDP growth.

Ukrainian businesses hope for your support in resolving these issues and improving the situation with the financing of the Bureau.

 

Sincerely,

Business Associations,

Members of the Ukrainian Business Council