Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine has summarized the results of its work on combating shadow schemes and negative phenomena in the country's economy for 6 months of 2023. Despite insufficient funding and staffing of the body by only 20 percent of the total number of employees, the employees of the ESBU ensured reimbursement of UAH 1.6 billion to the budget, prevented embezzlement of public funds in the amount of UAH 1.79 billion and seized excisable goods worth UAH 3 billion.

During the first half of 2023 the pre-trial investigations were launched in 896 criminal proceedings in which 235 people have already been notified of suspicion which is almost 4 times more than last year. The number of proceedings sent to court increased fivefold - 137, compared to 29 in 2022.

The work of the detectives ESBU was mainly focused on combating offenses in the excise sector and ensuring reimbursement of funds to the budgets.

At the stage of the pre-trial investigations the detectives of the ESBU secured UAH 1.6 billion in damages in all criminal proceedings and UAH 261 million in completed criminal proceedings (compared to UAH 33.3 million in 2022).

In the course of the pre-trial investigations in criminal proceedings, excisable goods including equipment for their illegal manufacture worth about UAH 3 billion were seized. In 2022, the figure for this area of work was UAH 431 million.

In particular, the following were seized:

1.7 million packs of cigarettes and 321 thousand e-cigarettes, 6 industrial production lines, etc. with a total estimated value of over UAH 750 million;

375 tons of alcohol and alcoholic beverages as well as equipment worth over UAH 650 million;

fuel and lubricants and inventories worth UAH 1.6 billion.

Information and analytical activities of the employees ESBU using a risk-oriented approach made it possible to identify a number of risks in the budget, tax, customs, monetary and investment sectors. Of these real risks amounted to UAH 89 billion and potential risks to UAH 82.5 billion.

Analysts of the ESBU have created 581 analytical products and analytical briefs on offenses that affect the economic security of the state. Half of them totaling UAH 21.2 billion were created at the request of the detective ESBU units as part of the investigation of criminal proceedings.

Since the beginning of the year employees of the Information analysis and risk management department have prevented the embezzlement of UAH 4.3 billion of budget funds.

Of these:

- UAH 1.1 billion of illegal value added tax (VAT) refunds;

- prevented the embezzlement of UAH 691.7 million during tender procedures in the public sector;

- prevented the distribution of a risky VAT credit worth UAH 2.5 billion.

In total 202 recommendations were sent to state authorities, local governments and budget funds managers/recipients to improve the efficiency of their management decisions on regulating relations in the economic sphere.

The analysts also provided 12 proposals for amendments to regulatory acts which will prevent possible budget losses of almost UAH 60 billion.

Thus the ESBU demonstrates positive dynamics in its activities. Analysts of the ESBU and detectives eliminate shadow schemes in the economy help to save budget funds and increase the amount of taxes paid. A striking example is the gambling industry.