However, as its war with Russia continues to put pressure on the country, which requires an estimated $120 billion a year for its defence needs, it is now considering legalising and taxing the pornography industry, a report by The Wall Street Journal said. Unlike many European countries, Ukraine criminalises the production and distribution of pornography.
Bribery and Legal Challenges in Ukraine’s Law Enforcement
In May, Ukraine’s general prosecutor reported that police departments across three regions were receiving over $20,000 monthly in bribes. This situation highlights ongoing concerns about corruption within law enforcement.
Yaroslav Zhelezniak, an opposition lawmaker and chair of the finance committee in Ukraine’s Parliament, commented on the predicament faced by women involved in this system. “These women either don’t pay taxes and face criminal charges for that, or they pay taxes and get charged with violating pornography laws,” he stated.
Zhelezniak described the circumstances as a “tragicomic situation,” reflecting the complexities and contradictions within the legal framework that governs such cases in Ukraine.
An opposition lawmaker who chairs the finance committee in Ukraine’s Parliament, Yaroslav Zhelezniak, is pushing for the legalisation as he says it would not only help curtail corruption but would raise up to $25 million a year in tax revenues, the report added. Rather than treating her as a criminal, she said, the government should appreciate the 40 million hryvnias—around $900,000—she had paid in taxes. She said that money could have bought 100 new pickup trucks for the army, 2,000 drones, or represented “hundreds of Russians killed on the front line. Within a week, Dvornikova’s petition had collected more than the 25,000 signatures required to prompt a response from President Zelensky.
The data showed that 7,900 Ukrainians earned more than $131 million on the platform in 2023, leaving millions of dollars in taxes due to the government, according to WSJ.
Describing herself as a “conscientious taxpayer,” Dvornikova made the same case. He said Parliament would consider legislation to legalize pornography. She said she was told proceedings had been put on hold while Parliament considers the proposed law.
Dvornikova’s case has yet to reach court. The cash seized from her was subsequently returned.
