Money for nothing: will the new “national cashback” program help Ukrainians?

The updated system of refunds for the purchase of Ukrainian goods, which is planned to be fully launched in 2026, is not capable of really supporting the economy.

Investment banker Serhiy Fursa criticized the changes in the “national cashback” program on the air of “Pryamoy”.

He believes that the new distribution of payments depending on the share of imports does not change the essence of the project, which he perceives as ineffective.

“First of all, I have a very negative attitude towards this cashback, as a simply populist initiative that does not actually affect anything. And this is one of the elements of this untargeted scattering of money, that is, when the aid does not go to those who need it,” noted Fursa.

According to the expert, the differentiated model with payments of 5% and 15% depending on the volume of imports in the basket has a certain logic, but the essence of the program remains questionable. He believes that such steps are just an attempt to appease the electorate, and not a systemic solution to strengthen Ukrainian production.

At the same time, the investment banker emphasized that it would be better to direct the funds to targeted support for those segments of the population that really need it.

As a reminder, starting March 1 , the Cabinet of Ministers will update the “National Cashback” program , changing the rules for accruing interest on purchases. Starting next month, it will depend on the share of imports of certain categories of goods. The Ministry of Digital Affairs promised to later publish a full list of Ukrainian goods for which cashback will be accrued.

It should be noted that at the end of last year, the Cabinet of Ministers planned to wind down the National Cashback program due to a lack of funding. The government then announced that payments to buyers in 2026 would not be made from May 1.

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