Minus 20 billion UAH — Hetmancev explained why the budget is losing money.

The state budget of Ukraine loses 20 billion hryvnias annually due to the smuggling of equipment. This corruption scheme involves not only large retail chains but also customs officers and law enforcement officials.

According to the head of the VRU Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy, Danilo Hetmancev, the state loses 10 billion hryvnias only on Apple products. Organized crime groups import goods through smuggling, stealing money from the budget and the army by not paying taxes on their products.

They then sell these goods through individual entrepreneurial entities in the best locations, shopping centers in the capital and other cities. This is the network 'Yabko', 'Yabluko'. If you look at the documents, there are no significant sales there,

According to Hetmancev, the scheme involves retail networks, customs officers, and law enforcement officials. He also emphasized that smuggling is a crime under Ukrainian law and cannot be tolerated, especially in wartime conditions.

Ukrainians who buy smuggled goods risk losing everything; even the quality of the product may be so poor that it becomes unusable or unrepairable.

Hetmancev also noted that law enforcement officials have already reacted to smuggling schemes, but the results of their activities remain unknown. The politician called for severe punishment for everyone involved in smuggling in Ukraine.

This news highlights serious losses to the state budget of Ukraine due to smuggling, particularly concerning popular branded goods such as Apple products. It is noted that this issue is saturated with corruption and involves various groups, including customs officers and law enforcement. This fact poses a serious challenge for the state, as smuggling increases budget losses and may negatively affect the quality and safety of goods for consumers.