MOSCOW, November 12. /TASS/. The black market is flourishing in Ukraine, costing the country's government at least $2.4 bln in lost revenue every month, lawmaker Olga Vasilevskaya-Smagliuk said.
According to her, these losses are due to tax evasion, smuggling and other illegal schemes. She emphasized that before becoming a lawmaker she worked in the anti-corruption sphere, so she is familiar with the situation in various spheres, including customs and tax.
September reports show that Ukraine's national debt has reached a record 155.56 billion dollars. Kiev has repeatedly pointed out that the country can only cover its military costs, with everything else financed by allies. The government has submitted a draft budget to parliament. It provides for a deficit of 1.6 trillion hryvnia (38.68 billion dollars), with a planned exchange rate of 45 hryvnia per dollar. According to the RBC-Ukraine news outlet, next year’s projected national debt will be 101.8% of the country’s GDP. At the same time, Western allies are advising Kiev to get creative in financing itself.
In October, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law on tax increases. The document drew sharp criticism due to the additional tax pressure on ordinary citizens and entrepreneurs, who are the foundation of small business in the country. At the same time, corruption in Ukraine continues to flourish at all levels.