Ukrainian government unveils cashback scheme: 10% rebate on domestic goods
Source: Ukraine’s ministry of social policies
In a bid to stimulate homegrown businesses, Ukraine’s government said on Tuesday it will roll out the “National Cashback” scheme on September 2, 2024. It will reward Ukrainian consumers with a 10% rebate on purchases of domestically produced goods.
Under this program, consumers will be offered cashback on a range of products and services, including medical and utility services, sports activities, cinema tickets, donations to the Ukrainian Army, and military bonds. The rebate is capped at 3,000 hryvnias per month.
Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s economy minister, spoke about the program’s economic benefits, arguing, “cashback as a form of state support is more effective for the economy than mere financial handouts. It generates additional demand for Ukrainian goods, which in turn creates jobs and ensures tax revenue. Up to 40% of the money spent on Ukrainian goods returns to the budget through taxes and supports the Ukrainian army.”
The cashback program, though, will not apply to excise goods, and will be voluntary for consumers, manufacturers, and retailers. Details on what products are eligable for cashback will be available at participating stores or on the program’s website.
Cashback funds will be credited to the card by the 20th of the following month, with cash withdrawals not permitted. Funds accamulated in 2024 must be used by January 31, 2025, while the overall program will run until December 31, 2025.
Ukrainian MP Olexiy Honcharenko revealed that the goverment will earmark 3 billion hryvnias for the program in 2024 and 6 billion hryvnais in 2025.
After the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine witnessed an unprecedented wave of private support for the army. Citizens, big businesses, charitable foundations, and international philanthropists began financing the country’s defense alongside state assistance provided by international partners. Estimates of total private contributions range from tens to hundreds of billions of hryvnias. However, determining the exact amount remains difficult. In many cases, companies combine military aid, humanitarian programs, tax payments, social spending, and employee support in their reporting.
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On October 6, the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court of Ukraine continued hearing case No. 990/80/25, in which the fifth President and leader of the party “European Solidarity”, Petro Poroshenko, seeks to have Presidential Decree No. 81/2025 from February 12, 2025 — enacting sanctions by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) — declared illegal and annulled. The plaintiff claims the document was falsified and that the sanctions are a tool of political persecution of the opposition, contrary to international norms. Government representatives deny the allegations and insist their actions were lawful. Journalists of Bukvy were present at the hearing.
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