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conditions, an additional UAH 72B did not reach the state budget. Therefore, according to the results of the year's first half, the planned revenue generation for the state budget's general fund was underachieved by UAH 28B, or 4.7%. Under these circumstances, the tax debt of economic entities (excluding customs payments) increased by UAH 23B or 28%.
The Ukrainian Tax department has reimbursed exporters UAH 50.3B of paid VAT. Since the beginning of the year, exporters have been reimbursed UAH 50.3B in value-added tax (VAT) out of UAH 51.2B that had been agreed to be refunded. As the Chairman of the Tax Committee of the Parliament, Danylo Hetmantsev, clarified, a total of UAH 74B of VAT was declared before reimbursement. According to the chairman, the State Tax Service submitted to the State Treasury documents constituting a total VAT refund in July for a total amount of UAH 5B, but the Treasury did not make the payments. As a reminder, VAT refunds have almost entirely ceased since the war on February 24, 2022. In January, the total refunds amounted to UAH 18.52B, and in February, UAH 12.07B, then in March UAH 0.82 billion, and in April and May, there were no refunds at all.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy predicts $20B in grain export revenue.
Extrapolating average statistical prices in the world food market, Ukraine expects to receive at least $20B from grain exports this year. According to Deputy Minister of Agricultural Policy Taras Vysotsky, this revenue will be directly facilitated by the grain corridor, which is already operating in both directions. Vysotsky claims that the three Ukrainian ports will be able to serve 80 vessels per month, which amounts to one ship departing each seaport daily. This level of ship traffic will allow 3-3.5 million tons of harvested grain to leave Ukraine each month. For now, this is quite an optimistic indicator and a positive signal for stabilising prices in the domestic market.
Ukraine's budget deficit next year might reach $30B. The Ministry of Finance predicts a 2023 state budget deficit of between $25B and $30B, reported Forbes. As Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko noted in an interview with Forbes Ukraine, $30B is the amount Ukraine hopes to receive from international partners by the end of 2022. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance seeks to abandon the state budget’s debt financing through the purchase of government bonds by the National Bank. "Such an opportunity should be preserved, but definitely not as a stable source of income," the minister said. In addition, the interest the government pays to the NBU on bonds is a different problem. Next year, this amount will reach over UAH 100B. "We want these funds to be returned to the state budget immediately. We are currently discussing this issue with the NBU and seeking a constructive solution," Marchenko added.
6.1.2 Budget dynamics - specific issues...
The Ukrainian Parliament plans to extend the tax amnesty until March 2023. The tax amnesty will be extended in Ukraine until March 1, 2023. The relevant draft law has already been passed by the specialised committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, Minister of Finance Serhii Marchenko said. "I consider it absolutely correct to continue the tax amnesty procedure. But this is already within the competence of the Parliament, which must consider this issue," the minister noted. As part of the tax amnesty, citizens of Ukraine can voluntarily declare their assets that have not been legalised. A tax of 5% must
41 UKRAINE Country Report September 2022 www.intellinews.com