Hetmantsev: IMF will not demand an excise tax on sweet water, but other decisions will be difficult

The International Monetary Fund will not yet require Ukraine to introduce an excise tax on sugary drinks, which, according to the government, was supposed to become an additional source of revenue for the state budget in 2026. About reported chairman of the Tax Committee of the Verkhovna Rada Danylo Hetmantsev.

"I have just had another meeting with my colleagues from the IMF. We discussed the complex solutions they have developed together with the Ministry of Finance and the Cabinet of Ministers. Some proposals, such as the excise tax on sweet water, have been removed so far. However, the decisions will indeed be difficult," Hetmantsev wrote.

Mr. Hetmantsev reminded that Ukraine is highly dependent on the assistance of its partners, which is tied to the IMF program.

"We are waiting for an agreement at the staff level," Hetmantsev wrote.

This is the second time that the MP has hinted that the IMF is demanding difficult decisions from Ukraine for the new program. He called his previous meeting with IMF mission chief Gavin Gray the most complex one ever.

• The excise tax on sugary drinks was first announced in 2023. In 2024, it was included in the Budget Declarationbut the current Verkhovna Rada was not ready to vote for the new excise tax.