Exclusive In Ukraine, it is necessary to fight against “black” grain and non-return of foreign exchange earnings from agricultural exports, but conscientious taxpayers should not suffer.
This was stated by the General Director of the Ukrainian Agricultural Business Club association Oleg Khomenko in an interview with Ukrinform.
“If the state begins to regulate something, it is very important that market results are predictable and understandable for all market participants. We need to fight against black grain and non-return of foreign exchange earnings, we understand this, because Ukraine cannot afford for $10 billion not to reach the budget. However, conscientious taxpayers should not suffer from innovations,” he said.
Khomenko noted that the presence of “black” grain in Ukraine creates pressure on the market and on companies operating “white grain”. According to him, at the same time, exporters working “in white” fear that the consequence of the fight against the “black” grain market will be a redistribution of the entire market.
“This, of course, cannot be allowed. Therefore, in preparation for the second reading of the bills, in which UCAB also participated, a more or less acceptable mechanism has already been developed. Now the main thing is that no surprises arise in practice,” the expert emphasized.
As Ukrinform reported, the Verkhovna Rada, at a meeting on November 21, 2023, adopted in the first reading bills on amendments to the Tax and Customs Codes of Ukraine, introducing a mechanism to combat “black” grain exports and non-return of foreign currency earnings.
The Ukrainian Grain Association and the European Business Association opposed the implementation of some provisions of these bills and appealed to deputies and the government with a proposal not to introduce additional rules and mechanisms for agricultural exports.
