The article examines the competitiveness of Ukrainian banks influenced by economy digitalization, the dynamic spread of electronic payments and e-commerce, as well as innovative technologies aimed at providing digital services. When shifting to an Online Platform business model, a bank can expand its range of banking products, attract more customers, thereby forming a competition policy and gaining competitive advantages. The paper aims to assess the digitalization level affecting the general competitiveness of banks and its components based on Ukrainian banks. For this purpose, the following methods were used: standardized input statistical indicators, comparison and ranking, a cluster analysis, and a regression and correlation analysis. The cluster analysis confirmed the current role of digitalization as a competition driver that determines the competitive advantages of banks and creates additional opportunities to expand the customer base and the range of services. The correlation and regression dependence of the competitive position identified by the activity indicators of certain banks on the level of competitive digitalization confirmed a close direct impact on the competitive position of personal deposits arising from the development of digital banking technology; the pre-tax income, profiles of assets and personal loans, and corporate deposits are subject to a significant direct impact, while the weakest direct impact determines corporate loans. The foregoing substantiates the feasibility of large-scale introduction of innovative digital technologies by banks to maintain competitive positions in the banking sector of the economy. Applying the proposed approach based on certain regression equations, managers of Ukrainian banks will be able to assess the efficiency and make appropriate decisions concerning investing in digital tools and services.

Post-socialist governments are looking for the best options to implement a fully funded pension system along with a pay-as-you-earn pension scheme. The paper aims to establish the impact of pension assets on economic growth using the example of post-socialist countries (Hungary, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Poland, and the Czech Republic). The use of methods of correlation and regression analysis allows determining the type of dependence (linear, exponential, gradual, and logarithmic) of countries’ economic growth indicators on pension assets and patterns for their investment (deposits, securities of public and private sectors). The obtained economic growth indicators of the studied post-socialist countries show a strong logarithmic dependence on the size of pension assets: Gross fixed capital formation depends on changes in the pension asset amount by 76.44% and GDP by 71.01%. The economic growth of the studied post-socialist countries is most significantly influenced by pension assets invested in deposits. Investing pension savings in public and private sector securities is less effective. The proved provisions determine the expediency of moving from the predominant pay-as-you-earn pension scheme to the predominant fully funded pension system for Ukraine. Such a transformation requires a stable and efficient construction of the country’s banking system, a developed policy for reforming the pension system while considering the criteria of the internal demographic, social, and financial situation.

Abstract. The shadowing of the economy is a significant obstacle on the way to stable economic development and the reason for deteriorating investment climate and imbalance of economic incentives in the national economy of Ukraine. The aim of the article is to determine the factors of shadowing and de-shadowing of Ukraine’s economy in the areas of household income and business and investment activity of the population, as well as justification of measures to de-shadow economic processes in Ukraine. On the basis the calculation of the Fechner correlation coefficient, the relationship between the level of the shadow economy of Ukraine and indicators of household income and indicators of small and medium-sized business development was revealed. Іn the sphere of household income factors determining level of the black economy are as follows: increacing in disposable income per capita (the correlation coefficient -0,75), the change in the wage share in househol incomes (the correlation coefficient -0,75), the level of social payments (the correlation coefficient +0,5) and employment (the correlation coefficient +0,75). In the field of entrepreneurship the most sagnificant factors determining level of the underground economy are change in the volume of sales of small and medium-sized businesses (the correlation coefficient  -0,75) as well as change of financial result of small enterprises (functional inverse relationship). It is necessary to increase the incomes of the population, stimulate their investment and entrepreneurial activity, in particular, liberalize tax policy for small and medium-sized businesses in order to reduce the level of the underground economy of Ukraine. Special attention should be paid to the development of small businesses, in particular, to changing approaches to regulatory policy in the field of small businesses, to simplify organizational procedures related to doing business as much as possible and ensure the availability of credit. Keywords: underground economy, tax policy, small businesses, medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurial activity. JEL Classification O17, H25, D31 Formulas: 1; fig.: 9; tabl.: 8; bibl.: 21.

The full-scale invasion of russia on February 24, 2022 pushed into the background, for Ukrainian society, the problems of overcoming the consequences of the corona crisis. Nevertheless, from a scientific point of view, the study of the practice of overcoming the consequences of the latter remains relevant and definitely requires a detailed study. The COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine restrictions have had a negative impact on the Ukrainian economy as a whole. Taking this into account, domestic science and practice today need a deep analysis of the short-, medium- and long-term socio-economic consequences of the pandemic, which will allow for the formulation of an adequate policy for the restoration of economic activity. The most significant negative consequences of the COVID-2019 pandemic and the corona crisis caused by it for the global and domestic economies were a reduction in economic activity and an increase in unemployment. Considering this, the main efforts of governments were focused on the use of financial policy instruments. In this context, it is extremely relevant to study the impact of fiscal and budget policy instruments and countering the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring economic recovery. The purpose of the study is to deepen the scientific and methodological foundations of assessing the impact of structural changes in the budget and tax policy and macroeconomic dynamics in Ukraine in the context of the pandemic and to develop, on this basis, practical recommendations aimed at ensuring post-war recovery. Achieving the set goal made it necessary to solve the following tasks: to reveal the mechanisms of the impact of structural changes in the budget and tax policy on macroeconomic indicators in the conditions of the pandemic; to diagnose structural changes in the budget and tax policy under the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic; to analyze the macroeconomic consequences of structural changes in the budget and tax policy of Ukraine in the conditions of the pandemic. The research uses general-scientific and specific-scientific methods of scientific research, namely: analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction (when studying the impact of structural changes in the budget and tax policy on indicators of macroeconomic dynamics in Ukraine); scientific abstraction and explication (when highlighting the conceptual and categorical research apparatus) As a result of the conducted research, the following conclusions can be drawn: First, as the main tools for leveling the negative macroeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine, the measures of the budget and tax policy were used. Secondly, considering the speed of the spread of the pandemic and the need for an adequate response to its consequences, the main channel for the transmission of fiscal impulses became the budget channel, namely the redistribution of budget expenditures. Thirdly, during 2020–2021, there was a change in the expenditure structure of the Consolidated Budget of Ukraine. In particular, in the structure of expenditures of the State budget, economic expenditures and expenditures on health care increased, and in the structure of expenditures of local budgets, economic expenditures and expenditures on education increased. Fourthly, the priority direction of further research is the economic and mathematical modeling of the revealed regularities, which will ensure the improvement of the efficiency of public finance management and, as a result, ensure the financial security of the state.