Glory to Ukraine!
Thank you for the invitation!
Dear Ukrainian entrepreneurs,
All those present,
First of all, I want to thank you for being in Ukraine, standing with Ukraine, and providing the foundation for a normal life for our people – national Ukrainian products and jobs for our people. After all, the strength of any country lies in the strength of its people’s potential – intellectual, creative, communicative, and therefore entrepreneurial. Even under such harsh conditions of this war, Ukraine can rely on its entrepreneurs – on our domestic Ukrainian manufacturing, our Ukrainian logistics, our Ukrainian services across all sectors – from security to everyday life, as well as on Ukrainian developments and investments. All of this is your achievement as well – there are many business founders and leaders in this hall today. And it is also the achievement of all your teams – all your colleagues and employees – and ultimately, that means millions of Ukrainians.
Of course, the top priority now is the defense of the state. Ukrainian business, together with the state, provides over 40% of the weapons used to defend our state, our independence. Ukrainian innovations – many of them specifically business-driven solutions – provide us with the ability to respond technologically to the challenges of the full-scale war and to the actions of the enemy. Thanks to Ukrainian entrepreneurship and all the conditions we have created as a state, a new sector of our domestic manufacturing has emerged and immediately become one of the world’s most advanced – the production of drones of various types. Hundreds of companies are now involved in weapons production in one way or another. However, it’s not only thanks to weapons that we endure. I want to thank every company working to support the lives of our people and to provide for our army. Everything – from postal services, food, and fuel to modern communication systems and financial services – is functioning in Ukraine, striving for growth, and seeking solutions that can provide us with more strength, more opportunities, and, as a result of growth, more tax revenue.
We in the government understand that it is economic growth that should fill the budget, not pressure, not simply squeezing money out of the economy. And good decisions are impossible without good teams that generate ideas and ensure that decisions are implemented. That is why dialogue between the state and all forces in society is necessary, particularly with entrepreneurs. That is why we are working in the format of a council between the state and entrepreneurs. That is why we are maintaining and will expand state programs to support Ukrainian businesses and Ukrainian manufacturing.
For the first time in our state’s history, we are implementing a systematic effort with partner countries to attract investment in production in Ukraine — billions of dollars of investment are flowing into our production of weapons, equipment, and machinery, as I’ve already mentioned. We have secured a positive outcome from the G7 meetings, our cooperation with the EU partners is yielding success, and we’ve achieved many bilateral results – with all key countries of the world. Our international efforts and the decisions of partners on long-term support programs for Ukraine show that the world believes in us, believes in Ukraine. And this is important for the defense of Ukraine, for our army, for all our people, and in particular for business. We are working with partners to support all forms of resilience in Ukraine – from energy to the provision of social benefits, and therefore – the ability of our people to purchase Ukrainian goods and services.
The “Made in Ukraine” policy to support Ukrainian entrepreneurship has also proven extremely effective. It consists of a set of concrete programs – including grants, accessible loans, demand stimulation programs, and assistance in entering foreign markets. More than 70,000 businesses and entrepreneurs have already benefited from our state programs. Today, our government officials will present new steps and programs that are already in preparation – from increasing grant support and expanding localization in procurement to labor legislation reform. I have also instructed that a decision on a long-term moratorium on business inspections be prepared to protect businesses from any pressure by unscrupulous individuals in various government positions. I ask First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to present all of this in detail to those present today.
We are also continuing the work of the state-business сouncil, and there is a proposal to broaden its composition. I urge everyone participating in its work to be as active as possible. Ukraine can be much stronger economically, which means we need to unleash many more ideas and talents of Ukrainian entrepreneurship. This requires certain conditions: clear limits on state interference, minimal and reasonable regulation, strong government advocacy for Ukrainian business globally, and mutual respect – respect from the state toward entrepreneurs working in and with Ukraine, and respect from our businesses for the fair rules within the state. We must make this a reality. Thank you!
Glory to Ukraine!