Shadow economy crackdown results and open dialogue with business: ESBU held a conference with business community representatives

The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine held its first large-scale event to mark the six-month milestone of the reformed agency's operations. The conference, titled «Cooperation between the Renewed ESBU and Transparent Business: the first six months,» was organized in partnership with the Ukrainian Business Council, the European Business Association, the American Chamber of Commerce, and the Economic Expert Platform.

The event was attended by Ukraine’s Business Ombudsman, Anka Feldhusen, as well as heads of leading business associations, bar associations, international chambers of commerce, company representatives, and industry experts—totaling nearly 100 participants.

 ESBU leadership presented performance results across key areas. Business representatives provided their own assessment of the changes and confirmed their readiness to support the bureau in its efforts to de-shadow the economy. Participants noted a shift toward a more predictable and constructive model of interaction between the agency and the business community.

ESBU Director Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi spoke about the Bureau's changing approach: «Our priority is de-shadowing the economy and increasing tax revenues to the state budget. We evaluate our effectiveness based on market changes.»

Deputy Director of ESBU Pavlo Buzdyhan presented specific results across several sectors.

In particular, since November 2025, ESBU has identified 538 illegal gas stations throughout Ukraine, 421 of which were identified in collaboration with business associations. Thanks to comprehensive efforts to dismantle and shut down these facilities, budget revenues for October–December 2025 increased by UAH 2.3 billion compared to the same period in the previous year.

In the electronics market, ESBU has stepped up its actions against «gray» market players by blocking supply channels for smuggled goods and halting the sale of uncertified equipment. The systemic de-shadowing of the entire supply chain—from import and logistics to sales and financial flows—was coupled with industry dialogue and clarification of legal requirements. As a result, some companies voluntarily moved into the legal sector: the number of fiscal receipts rose from 6.6 million in September to 8.2 million in December, with experts estimating that over UAH 8 billion in turnover has been legalized.

In the alcohol trade, illegal products worth UAH 303.8 million were seized in 2025—seven times more than in 2024.

Special attention was paid to the discussion on combating illegal gambling. In 2025, 507 searches were conducted, approximately 6,000 pieces of equipment were seized, 70 individuals were served with notices of suspicion, and 24 indictments were sent to court. Additionally, 25 premises used for organizing illegal games were seized, preventing the rapid resumption of their activities.

Conference participants emphasized that these results were made possible through systemic cooperation between the state and law-abiding businesses. Representatives of business associations expressed their readiness to continue supporting ESBU initiatives aimed at de-shadowing key markets and establishing equal rules for all participants.

The parties also agreed to continue industry-specific meetings and maintain a public dialogue.