After a few days ago, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi told his compatriots about “serious problems” with the business environment, on Friday evening he announced that he had a meeting with the tax office and that a mechanism for communication with entrepreneurs had been created, because this is the need for greater confidence in the business environment and a more legal and “white” economy, News.ro reports.

On Friday evening, in a video message to Ukrainians, Zelenskyy said that during the day he held a meeting regarding the financial situation, the activities of the tax office and tax revenues, and called for the collection of taxes and fees and the liquidation of “black” enterprises.

“We are reviewing the report for the previous year and the priorities for this year. It is most important for the state and for our entire society that every Ukrainian entrepreneur has opportunities for more active economic activity. This means that the budgets of Ukrainians should focus more on the strength of their economy. The state, state institutions and each of its officials should do everything possible to promote legal, “white” business,” Zelenskyy said.

He expressed gratitude to the entrepreneurs who decided to stay in the country and continue their activities here, creating jobs, but emphasized that “the work of every enterprise that remains in the legal field is one of the key pillars of the Ukrainian government.”

Zelenskyi announced the launch of a new mechanism of communication with entrepreneurs of the Economic Platform of Ukraine, which will represent small, medium and large enterprises from different regions of the country. The government together with the Office of the President, regional administrations and experts should organize the work of the platform. “The main task is to make it an effective communication tool. Communication should always be supported by operational decisions – what state institutions do or change, and what will create a history of normality of relations, especially between law enforcement agencies and the business environment,” Zelenskyi said.

“We need more trust in the business environment and a more legal and “white” economy for Ukraine. We need more Ukrainian productions, more Ukrainian products in various fields,” said Zelenskyy.

He also announced that he signed the decree on the creation of the Council of Entrepreneurship, determined by the decision of the National Security Council, as well as the Ukrainian platform for stimulating Ukrainian entrepreneurship and products.

Zelenskyi’s decisions on the business environment came after businessmen expressed concern over last week’s arrest of Ihor Mazepa, accused of involvement in the illegal acquisition of land north of Kyiv to continue housing construction. Mazepa, whose company Concorde Capital has been working in Ukraine for 20 years, was detained at the border with Poland. His brother and other officials connected with his company were also detained. He called his detention an example of official pressure on Ukrainian companies. Mazepa has repeatedly criticized law enforcement agencies and judges, accusing some of them of abuse of power.

On Monday, the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian Parliament – no) and the heads of the economy in the government held a closed meeting with businessmen to discuss “the pressure of law enforcement agencies on the business environment in the context of Igor’s arrest.” Mazeps and searches in Concorde Capital”, writes “Ukrainian Pravda”. The participants of the meeting of the government and the business community on January 22 stated that Deputy Prime Ministers Yuliya Shvyridenko and Mykhailo Fedorov and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk “listened to the anger of the business community.”

According to the results of the meeting, President Zelensky instructed to take measures “to eliminate all difficulties between government officials, the business environment and law enforcement agencies.” He also announced the creation of the Business Support Council, which will include representatives of the business environment.

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