The Ukrainian government acknowledges a high probability of another delay in the implementation of the electronic excise system (eExcise). The launch, scheduled for November 1, 2026, may not take place due to the critical unpreparedness of the software, for which the Ministry of Digital Transformation bears responsibility.
This was stated by Daniil Hetmanets, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy, in an interview with the YouTube channel «Shelter». According to him, parliament does not intend to "set up" either business or the state budget by launching a non-functional system.
Technical Failure and Missed Deadlines
The situation surrounding the digitization of excise goods accounting (alcohol, tobacco, and e-cigarette liquids) has intensified. According to Hetmanets, as early as April-May 2026, a significant part of the software either did not work or had not been developed at all. Business representatives, in meetings with deputies, complained about the impossibility of conducting full-scale testing: part of the functionality is simply "non-existent".
The People's Deputy emphasized that the deadlines fixed in the relevant Law No. 3173-IX were originally proposed or agreed upon by the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Initially, the system was supposed to start working on January 1, 2026. After missing this deadline, the ministry publicly asked to postpone the launch to November 1, 2026, giving itself 2.5 years for development. Now, according to Hetmanets, the department is missing this date as well.
Risks for the Budget and Business
The unpreparedness of the system is confirmed not only by the statements of deputies but also by assessments from business circles. In early July 2026, the European Business Association (EBA) stated that there were unresolved technical and legal issues.
Svetlana Mikhailovska, Deputy Director of the EBA, noted that companies cannot confirm the continuity of production, circulation, and fiscalization processes starting November 1. Among the key problems, business highlights:
- Unpreparedness of the offline application;
- Lack of functionality to display changes in customs declarations.
Experts warn of serious financial risks. According to EBA participants, a system failure after an unprepared launch will lead to losses for the state budget of more than 500 million hryvnias daily.
Personnel Decisions and New Hopes
In response to the failures in development, Hetmanets noted that personnel decisions have already been made at the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and specialists who allowed such failures have left their posts. The deputy expressed hope that the new team of the ministry will be able to provide a clear strategic vision and realistic plans for the implementation of eExcise.
Testing of the «eExcise» system, designed to combat the illegal market, began as early as January 2026. However, judging by the current dynamics, the question of the full-scale launch date remains open and will depend on the ability of the updated Ministry of Digital Transformation to fix the situation.
