Tetiana Kiriienko: Conscious choice of future profession by young people is a key to successful development of our countryChapter: News

Talented Ukrainian youth, hardened in the war conditions, are the pride, hope and potential of our country. It is extremely important to support youth in such a difficult time, to provide opportunities for development of creative and intellectual abilities, and sometimes to give an impetus in choosing profession. Therefore, all competitions, conferences, marathons or other events are excellent platforms that allow pupils and students to show and reveal themselves. Moreover, such measures allow state authorities to advertise their professions and attract enterprising, progressive and modern young workers to them in the future.

High school and college students described their vision of activity of the State Tax Service, its role in functioning and development of Ukrainian state. They were offered to reflect on what tax system of Ukraine should be in the post-war period in one of the rounds of the All-Ukrainian competition "Tax official of the future", which was held by the State Tax University with assistance of the State Tax Service.

"It is very pleasant that such a number of young people is really interested in tax profession and have a desire to connect their future with it. This is interesting and at the same time very responsible profession, main task of which is to fill in the state budget, which is salary of doctors, teachers and armament of our army. This is country we will live in and what roads we will drive. Therefore, conscious choice of such professional path by our youth will be a guarantee of development of both our Service and our country" – emphasized acting Head of the State Tax Service Tetiana Kiriienko during summation of competition results.

Works and ideas of young Ukrainians turned out to be not childishly thought out and reasoned, which indicates serious approach to the competition's tasks. It is interesting that almost all the participants in their essays put the main emphasis on the need to stimulate economy and, accordingly, to increase budget revenues. All this will allow to rebuild Ukraine after the war at a faster pace.

In their opinion, it is important to reduce tax burden on the salary fund. For example, contestant Andriana Buratynska suggests "to base taxation of citizens' incomes on the principle of social justice, according to which those members of society who have higher incomes pay more." Victoria Atamanova believes that "in order to lower personal income tax rates, government can introduce various incentives and benefits for those who fulfill their tax obligations on time and in full. It is also possible to consider tax credit for low-income families and people with disabilities."

Young people also pay attention to the need to support small and medium-sized businesses. According to Sofia Novikova, "small and medium-sized business should become driver of the post-war reconstruction and economic life. It is the most mobile and sometimes more responsible. World experience speaks of this. Such entrepreneurs need to set fixed taxes. At the same time, in order to encourage them to pay taxes, provide preferential loans for development of their business at the expense of rule "you pay correctly to the budget - you get preferences regarding the loan".

Suggestions to attract investments into economy are also interesting. Participants propose to provide certain tax preferences to stimulate and attract investors to Ukrainian market. As for taxes, opinions are divided, among the suggestions are the reduction/increase of rates, abolition of some taxes and introduction of other taxes.

Attention was also focused on the development of electronic taxation as a way to reduce bureaucracy, quick and easy access to electronic services, and formation of tax culture. For example, Victoria Kovalchuk suggests forming tax culture through the introduction of such disciplines as economics, financial literacy, and basics of tax knowledge into the educational process. Issues of combating corruption and tax evasion were also raised.

It is important that our schoolchildren and students are already thinking about opportunities that Ukrainian economy will receive as a result of tax changes. And this gives us reason to think that generation of young Ukrainians is capable of learning, producing ideas and working on development of our country.

"Youth are the future of our country and what knowledge and skills you will acquire on your student journey, in this way you will build our Ukraine - the European state", with these words Tetiana Kiriienko addressed participants of the competition and expressed her hope that in the future they will become employees of the State Tax Service of Ukraine and will help to form modern, efficient and European tax system.