After the statements of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the restoration of the "grain agreement" with Ukraine, the problem of agricultural exports came to the fore again. On the one hand, the renewal of the agreement is important for Ukrainian farmers who need markets for their products, and on the other hand, pressing issues that remain unregulated in Ukraine can threaten the national economy and undermine trust in state institutions.
Tax problems and shell companies
Recently, an investigation has been ongoing in Ukraine regarding non-payment of taxes by companies exporting grain through the Odesa port. In particular, it is about TOLANS LLC, LIVION LLC, INTEGRA LIGHT LLC, and MENTI LLC. It turned out that these companies use complex schemes to avoid the mandatory return of taxes, which causes significant losses to the state budget.
For example, "TOLANS" LLC and "LIVION" LLC not only had problems with the registration of financial reports, but also turned out to be involved in numerous manipulations with fictitious companies. As the investigation showed, these firms often change their names and owners, as well as use fictitious addresses and details, which makes it difficult to track and control them.
Large volumes of grain passing through Odesa ports often become the subject of discussion due to numerous violations of customs and tax regulations. The investigation revealed that many of these companies use "front companies" that buy grain from farmers but do not pay the proper taxes.
These firms are often characterized by a lack of real production or land, which increases the risk of their being fictitious. Cases when such companies show a profit of 100 hryvnias in one year or even operate at a loss only confirm suspicions about their activities.
After signing the previous "grain agreement", Ukraine faced many problems. Farmers unable to sell their produce due to import restrictions in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia faced protests and severe economic hardship. At the same time, state bodies could not properly ensure export control, which led to negative consequences for the country's economy.
Problems with customs control and the possibility of tax evasion through shell companies not only cause losses to the state, but also undermine trust in the system. Cases of grain being exported through schemes to circumvent customs payments, and where companies with dubious financial histories continue to operate with impunity, reveal systemic weaknesses in governance and oversight.
The situation with Oleksiy Fedorychev, a Russian businessman who owns TIS-Zerno LLC and TIS-Mindobriva LLC, deserves special attention. Despite the sanctions imposed twice, Fedorychev continues to actively earn money from Ukrainian grain. According to official data, his companies made significant profits even during the period of sanctions, which raises additional questions about the effectiveness of the sanctions regime and monitoring of their implementation.
In Ukraine, Fedorychev is not only registered as the owner of companies, but also actively challenges the sanctions in court, which calls into question the effectiveness of such restrictions.
The situation on the Ukrainian grain market requires an urgent response from state authorities. It is necessary to ensure strict control over companies engaged in exports, to improve systems of checks and prevention of tax evasion. In addition, a comprehensive review of the activities of sanctioned businessmen and their companies should be conducted.
It is important that state bodies not only actively fight against existing schemes, but also prevent the emergence of new shim companies that may harm the economic interests of Ukraine. For this, it is necessary to strengthen the interaction between customs, tax authorities and law enforcement structures, ensure the transparency of processes and increase the effectiveness of control at all stages — from export to the receipt of taxes to the state treasury.
The Ukrainian economy and agricultural sector need reliable protection mechanisms against fraud and corruption schemes that can undermine their stability and growth.
