The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has denied claims that it requires taxpayers' tax numbers and full payment card numbers to be listed on utility payment receipts.
The claims were spread by Ihor Smilyansky, head of the state postal operator Ukrposhta. He said the requirements were allegedly set out in NBU board resolutions No. 163 of July 29, 2022, and No. 103 of September 25, 2018. Smilyansky said Ukrposhta categorically disagreed with the new requirements but, under the law, had to comply with them.
Ukrposhta appealed the decision, contacting the NBU, the government, the Verkhovna Rada and the human rights ombudsman with a proposal to review it, though the company said it would keep complying while the requirement remained in force.
NBU's response
The NBU said the claims do not match the content of current regulations and distort the requirements. The bank said the spread information is based on a distorted interpretation of certain rules, and that some statements directly contradict their content, which could give citizens a false impression of the National Bank's requirements and the level of protection of their personal data.
The NBU clarified that it had not introduced any new requirements for listing personal data when paying utility bills. Basic requirements for drawing up payment documents have been in effect since 2022.
The bank also said that under changes to instruction No. 163 that took effect in March 2026, cashless payments do not require a payer's full name or taxpayer registration number to be listed on either the payment instruction or the document confirming the transaction. For cash payments, only the full name is required. The NBU said it had not set any separate requirements for Ukrposhta specifically.
The NBU said all market participants received the same six-month transition period to bring their processes in line with the updated regulation. It called the spread of claims that distort the regulator's requirements unacceptable and irresponsible, and said it would review how payment documents are being drawn up in practice.
Background to the dispute
Ukrposhta and the NBU are locked in an ongoing conflict rooted in the company's push to obtain a banking license. That dispute led to the NBU demanding Smilyansky's dismissal, a demand the government has not carried out.
Danylo Hetmantsev, head of the Verkhovna Rada's finance committee, has said the conflict has taken on a personal character due to the standoff between NBU governor Andriy Pyshnyi and Smilyansky.
