Kyiv, 15 December 2022 – Ukrainians who have had to leave their homes due to the war, or who have returned to areas retaken by the Government of Ukraine, can receive consultations through the Diia.Business virtual centre hotline. The services can be used by all citizens of Ukraine without exception, but are particularly valuable for internally displaced persons and those who have relocated their businesses.

The specialists at the centre can provide consultations in three areas:

• business operations (establishing or relocating a business);
• general legal issues of internally displaced persons (IDPs);
• employment opportunities.

Valeriia Ionan, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for European Integration, noted that during the first stage of operation the Diia.Business virtual centre provided more than 14,000 consultations to Ukrainians and received 95% positive feedback from users. “That is why we decided that a second stage of work was necessary, taking into account the fact that almost 5 million Ukrainians have returned from abroad and need advice on adapting to new living conditions,” she said.

The centre will provide consultations for citizens regarding the legal status of persons who are forced to live away from their homes or who have returned to areas retaken by the Government of Ukraine. Users of the centre will also be able to learn about state financial support and employment opportunities. This is especially relevant for people temporarily living outside their home region, including the most vulnerable groups.

In addition, consultations will be provided to entrepreneurs on doing business in a new region, best practices for business relocation, and advice on reviving a business, tax reporting and simplified business registration.

Jaco Cilliers, acting UNDP Ukraine Resident Representative, commended the Government of Ukraine for supporting and protecting the population during this difficult period of war. “Getting critical information on employment, business relocation and legal issues to citizens — many of whom are on the move — is essential to ensure their wellbeing and safety,” he said. “The launch of the second stage of the Diia.Business virtual centre shows there is high demand both for these services, and for their efficient delivery.”

Cilliers also said UNDP and its partners are committed to supporting the Government of Ukraine in implementing these and other initiatives, “to help the citizens of Ukraine overcome the severe socio-economic consequences of the war.”

Free consultations are available to the public from 08.00 to 18.00 Kyiv time by phone, on 0 800 333 183.

There will also be a chatbot to provide answers to general questions and create an individual road map for consultees. The chatbot works from 08.00 to 20.00 Kyiv time.

If an air-raid alarm sounds during the consultation, the time and duration of the consultation may change.

The Diia.Business virtual centre was launched in May 2022 in the format of an innovative hotline, and in its first stage provided 14,200 consultations to citizens who were forced to relocate within the country or abroad. A survey conducted among citizens who received consultations showed that 95.55% were satisfied with the work of the Diia.Business virtual centre, 96.3% received satisfactory answers on the hotline, and 94.8% thought the chatbot worked well.

The virtual centre was initiated by the team of the national Diia.Business project, which is implemented by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Office for the Development of Entrepreneurship and Export. The innovative hotline is implemented by the NGO “Consulting Centre for the Support of Small and Medium Businesses,” with the assistance of the DIA Support project, which is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine with financial support from Sweden.

Media inquiries

Yuliia Samus, Communications Team Leader, UNDP in Ukraine, yuliia.samus@undp.org