Naftogaz spent over 1 million UAH on two tons of coffee through four tenders
Public finances always impress with the scale of their contrasts. On one hand, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is directing a massive 57.4 billion UAH in educational subventions toward teacher salaries for the period from September to December 2026. On the other hand, through the Prozorro electronic system, the state giant Naftogaz of Ukraine has successfully utilized 1,037,688.58 UAH to provide its offices with coffee. While educators are promised an average pay increase of 20%, the energy monopolist is contracting exactly 2,001 kilograms of coffee beans.
To cover the updated teacher salary rates, the Government redistributed an additional 25.8 billion UAH and set aside 0.5 billion UAH for the reserve fund. These are serious budgetary calculations intended to compensate for years of belt-tightening. At the same time, one million hryvnias spent on coffee for a state-owned company is an amount that would have been sufficient for a significant number of bonuses for school staff in regions where teachers face increased workloads daily.
According to the Prozorro public procurement system, Naftogaz’s appetite for coffee was split into four tranches throughout the year. The first batch of 602 kg amounted to 323,635.20 UAH (about 538 UAH per kilogram), and the second of 669 kg cost 334,703.38 UAH (at 500 UAH per kilogram). The third tender for 330 kg cost 163,350 UAH, and the fourth agreement for 400 kg added another 216,000 UAH to the total bill, with a delivery deadline of October 31. Interestingly, the company has previously purchased massage oil, sports creams, and antacids through tenders.
Meanwhile, significantly stricter norms apply in the school system. As Deputy Minister of Education and Science Anastasiia Sofiienko reported, the maximum calculated class size for primary schools is now limited to 24 students. According to Minister of Education and Science Andrii Butenko, returning to the funding of all curriculum hours will ensure strict compliance with State Standards. So, while teachers prepare to teach full curricula in smaller classes, state energy officials are preparing to consume tons of coffee at the public’s expense.
Illustrative photo: MarkSweep / Public domain
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