The state's debt under the "5-7-9%" program has grown to UAH 8.8 billion: what is happening with compensation to banks

The state's debt approached UAH 9 billion

As of the beginning of July 2026, the state's debt for compensation payments to banks within the program "Available loans 5-7-9%" reached UAH 8.8 billion.

Only in the first six months of this year, the amount of debt increased by UAH 1.6 billion — from UAH 7.2 billion, recorded at the beginning of the year. If compared with the same period last year, the scale of growth is even more noticeable: in July 2025, the state owed banks only UAH 1.4 billion, that is, now the debt has increased by more than six times.

Why is debt growing?

The main reason was the significant expansion of the lending program itself. Business continues to actively use preferential loans, and the state does not have time to compensate banks for part of the interest rates.

In contrast to previous years, when the debt grew at the beginning of the year and gradually decreased in the middle of the year, 2026 was the first year when this trend reversed. Debt continued to accumulate even after the end of the first half of the year.

The loan portfolio set a new record

In parallel with the growth of the debt, the total volume of loans issued within the framework of the state program continues to increase.

At the beginning of 2026, the loan portfolio "5-7-9%" constituted UAH 150.1 billion, and as of the beginning of July it has grown to UAH 189.3 billion.

Despite the increase in the absolute amount of debt, its share in relation to the total loan portfolio even decreased slightly — from 4.8% to 4.7%, which indicates a faster growth of credit volumes than the accumulation of compensatory debt.

Do banks charge additional fees?

The National Development Institution (NUD) emphasizes that banks do not have the right to independently compensate for delays in government payments at the expense of clients.

All possible commissions are determined by the rules of the program, and their maximum size cannot exceed 1.5% of the loan amount.

Although banks do not report separately on actually received commission payments, the NUR regularly checks compliance with the terms of the program, and performs additional control State Audit Service of Ukraine.

According to the results of inspections of cases of illegal collection of additional commissions from borrowers at present not detected.

The program remains one of the main business support tools

Despite the accumulation of debt, the program "Available loans 5-7-9%" continues to be one of the key mechanisms of state support for micro, small and medium-sized businesses.

Financing of enterprises is carried out by compensating part of the interest rate or providing state guarantees. The most actively using the program are enterprises:

• - agricultural sector;

• - processing industry;

• - wholesale and retail trade.

It is these industries that remain the main recipients of preferential financing within the framework of state policy "Made in Ukraine".

Lending volumes continue to grow

Just in the last week 48 authorized banks issued to entrepreneurs 588 soft loans for the total amount UAH 1.6 billion.

At the same time, the National Bank of Ukraine predicts that by the end of 2026, the state's debt under the program may to reach about UAH 10 billion, if the rates of lending and compensations remain unchanged.

At the same time, the credit activity of banks continues to grow. According to the NBU, in June the net portfolio of hryvnia business loans increased by 31% in annual terms, and lending to the population — by 36%. This indicates the recovery of the demand for financing and the gradual revival of economic activity even in the conditions of war.