NO NEW BARRIERS FOR BUSINESS! THE "UKRZOVNISHTRANS" ASSOCIATION AT THE YEAR'S MAJOR ECONOMIC DISCUSSION: "THINK SMALL FIRST"

On September 21, the large-scale "Think Small First" forum took place in Kyiv, organized by the National MSME Business Coalition with the support of CIPE and leading Ukrainian think tanks (CASE Ukraine, ISET, and the Economic Expert Platform).
The event served as a key platform for discussing the future of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Ukraine amidst economic reforms and wartime challenges. Representatives of the "UKRZOVNISHTRANS" Association also supported this event, which is vital to the business community.
What was discussed at the forum, moderated by Dmytro Tuzov?
Session 1: Economic and Tax Reforms 2026
The focus was on fulfilling Ukraine's international obligations (to the IMF, EU, and World Bank) without creating new barriers for small businesses. International experts from Bulgaria and Poland (Krassen Stanchev, Radan Kanev, and Jacek Piechota), alongside Members of Parliament (Oleksii Movchan, Ihor Marchuk, and Rostyslav Pavlenko), debated the reform of the simplified taxation system, tax administration, and the potential expansion of the VAT scope. Viacheslav Cherkashyn presented a specialized analytical study. Session 2. Economic Resilience in Wartime: Global Experience and Solutions for Ukraine
Participants—including Olena Shuliak, Halyna Tretiakova, representatives from relevant ministries (Daria Marchak, Svitlana Vorobei), and Business Ombudsman Anka Feldhusen—discussed global examples of business support during armed conflicts. Special attention was paid to priority recovery steps, specifically the "Front-City" initiative, the new Labor Code, and the effectiveness of existing business support tools. Oleh Hetman presented a study on economic resilience.
The voice of the business community was confidently represented at the forum by ambassadors and members of the coordinating councils of leading associations (Borys Emeldesh, Lesia Zolotarova, Bohdan Mosunov, Maryna Paianok).
We thank the organizers for raising such critical and timely issues! Protecting the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises, simplifying regulations, and ensuring transparent rules of the game form the foundation upon which Ukraine’s economic front—and the logistics sector in particular—rests.
We are stronger together! We are winning and rebuilding Ukraine together!