187 voluntary reimbursements in 2025 ended in court: ESBU proposes a new settlement mechanism

 In 2025, the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine reached a consensus with businesses in 187 criminal proceedings, resulting in the voluntary and full reimbursement of damages to the state, with all funds transferred to the budget. However, under current legislation, law enforcement agencies are still required to issue notices of suspicion and refer the case materials to court, even after the payments have been made.

This was announced by Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi, Director of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine, during a public discussion on the ESBU initiative to introduce a tax offense settlement mechanism. The event took place at the Serhiy Nyzhnyy Kyiv School of Public Administration. He emphasized that this format ensures everyone's opinion is heard.

The core of the initiative, its objectives, and practical approaches to implementation were presented by the First Deputy Director of the ESBU, Taras Shcherbai.

More than 70 participants joined the discussion, including representatives of business associations and public organizations, Members of Parliament of Ukraine, prosecutors, and attorneys. The event was also attended by Deputy Director of the ESBU, Pavlo Buzdyhan and Deputy Director for Digital Development, Digital Transformations, and Digitization Yurii Bielousov.

The event featured two panel discussions. During the first panel, proposals were presented by representatives from the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (AmCham), the European Business Association (EBA), the Business Protection Center of the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs, and Members of Parliament from relevant committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The second panel discussion featured speakers from the Office of the Prosecutor General, the State Tax Service of Ukraine, Members of Parliament, and the co-founder of Monobank.

During the discussion, participants voiced their concerns, asked questions, and provided suggestions for improving the proposed mechanism. The ESBU emphasized that all stated positions will be thoroughly analyzed and taken into account during further work on the initiative.

The proposed mechanism for settling tax offenses aims to create legal conditions where, in cases specified by law, the priority is shifted toward the restoration of damages to the state, the reduction of procedural burden, and the formation of a fair balance between the interests of the state and business.

The next stage will involve the creation of a working group comprising representatives from the ESBU, the business community, and the expert environment to further refine the mechanism and prepare coordinated decisions for its subsequent implementation.

The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine expresses its gratitude to all participants of the event for their active involvement, professional suggestions, and constructive dialogue.