Digitalisation is shaping mindsets and businesses in Ukraine

Written by Anton Yermakov, Communication Expert at the e-Governance Academy

Just a few years ago, Ukrainian businesses faced overwhelming bureaucracy, including long queues, excessive paperwork and rigid inspections. Today, thanks to a collaborative digital transformation led by the government and the Ministry of Digital Transformation – supported by the European Union, international donors and partners like e-Governance Academy (eGA) – this reality has drastically improved. Between 2021 and 2024, the tangible anti-corruption and economic impact of digitalisation in Ukraine is estimated at €1.5 billion (UAH 66 billion), according to the official website https://5years.thedigital.gov.ua/. 

A key milestone for businesses in Ukraine in 2024 was the launch of the e-Entrepreneur service within the DT4UA project. Enabled by secure data exchange via the Trembita system, this initiative has streamlined services for businesses and empowered Ukraine’s digital economy. 

e-Entrepreneur (e-Pidpryiemets in Ukrainian) is a set of electronic services for businesses where entrepreneurs can quickly register a new venture and access more than 10 government services with just a few clicks. Together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the eGA’s team plans to add even more services and expand its functionality. 

To understand the importance of these changes, let’s look at the story of Yaroslava Kalashnyk, co-owner of the Vognyar (Firebender) brand, which grows extra-hot peppers. Kalashnyk started her business in 2003 and recalls how she used to run from one government office to another. 

“In our country, unfortunately, 40% of my time as a business owner was spent not on generating income or optimising production processes but on administration. Simply put, before, I had to collect loads of papers. Now everything is done automatically; I just e-sign it, and that’s it”, said Kalashnyk. 

With bureaucracy simplified, perceptions of the state have also changed. The ability to access services online has encouraged more Ukrainians to start their own businesses. Entrepreneurs now have more time for real development rather than standing in queues.  

“Digitalisation has significantly influenced Ukrainian society. This is evident from Ukrainians’ experiences abroad. When they need to contact government agencies, they face the issues we forgot years ago in Ukraine. We have more free time and a different attitude toward the state as a controller. You press a few buttons to get your registration done. Want to discontinue your sole proprietorship? You can close it in the same Diia app”, Kalashnyk said. 

Since launching the data exchange platform Trembita in 2020, eGA experts have helped automate interactions between citizens and government agencies while ensuring the security and reliability of these services. To implement e-Entrepreneur, eGA experts assisted the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and Diia in analysing regulatory documents, designing the service architecture and developing technical solutions. 

“Our overarching goal, with both e-Entrepreneur and other services, is to simplify the interaction between people, businesses and the state”, said Andrii Piskun, Senior Expert at eGA and Head of e-Services at the DT4UA project. “As citizens, we shouldn’t waste time on paperwork, running around, pleading. A computer processes requests quickly, doesn’t take bribes, doesn’t ask for anything odd, and follows clear algorithms. This allows people to work and request services quickly, without wasting time or extra money.” 

Of course, the war has added extra challenges for businesses: logistics have become more complex, and risks for farmers have increased. Despite this, Kalashnyk continues to expand Vognyar, planning new products, farm tours and even a restaurant on the farm, for which she intends to use e-Entrepreneur. She is convinced that when most bureaucratic procedures can be handled online, there is much more room for creativity and scaling up. 

Today, Ukraine serves as an example of successful digitalisation. Thanks to the joint efforts of the government, e-Governance Academy, and other partners, numerous e-services that simplify life for millions of people are already up and running. Every Ukrainian using these digital solutions contributes to building a new, transparent, modern society that is open to global opportunities.