State-owned Oschadbank and the UPG gas station chain have signed a cooperation agreement that provides for business loans on special terms for the purchase of motor fuel, according to Yuriy Voychak, director of Oschadbank’s sales department.
“We were the first among all Ukrainian banks to sign a cooperation agreement that allows all UPG customers who need it to purchase fuel using credit funds. Loan terms: 0.01% per annum, for up to 12 months, unsecured. The loan amount is up to 20 million UAH,“ Voychak said during the Energy Finance forum organized by Oschadbank in Kyiv on Wednesday.
”This means that farmers or other UPG clients can apply for financing. We have liquidity, we have sufficient funds, the interest rate is minimal, and the loan is provided without collateral—the procedure is as simple as possible,” the bank representative explained.
He noted that the bank and the network are expecting loan applications from businesses. Voychak clarified that the agreement between the bank and UPG was signed about a month ago.
In a comment to Energoreforma, he noted that the bank is negotiating with other networks to conclude similar agreements.
“WOG and OKKO have started approaching us. We are in negotiations,” said Voychak.
According to him, such an agreement creates a three-way benefit: the client has fuel, the bank has a client to lend to, and the gas station network increases its fuel sales.
UPG network owner Volodymyr Petrenko told Energoreforma that, according to his information, approximately 60 million UAH worth of fuel has already been sold under the loan agreement.
“After the rise in fuel prices, roughly twice as much money is needed to purchase it. Thanks to the loan, we can avoid using working capital for this. Our goal is to give consumers the opportunity to purchase the fuel we import from the U.S. and appreciate its high quality,” said Petrenko.
As reported, UPG (Ukrainian Petrol Group) is a Ukrainian group of companies specializing in the trade of petroleum products. UPG ranks among the top three largest operators in Ukraine by number of stations. The group has its own logistics infrastructure and conducts direct fuel supplies from leading refineries in Europe and the U.S. The founder of UPG is Volodymyr Petrenko.
Earlier, Oschadbank noted in its press release regarding a new business program with UPG—which allows entrepreneurs to purchase fuel for seasonal work or ongoing operations without straining working capital—that its main advantage is a preferential interest rate of 0.01% per annum for the first four months of the loan.
BUSINESS, FUEL, LENDING, OSCHADBANK, UPG
On April 30, 2026, Kyiv hosted the International Women’s Economic Forum 2026—a large-scale event that brought together women entrepreneurs, business leaders, representatives of international organizations, business associations, financial institutions, the public sector, and the expert community.
The forum served as a platform for substantive discussions on the role of women in Ukraine’s economy, the development of women’s entrepreneurship, business internationalization, Ukrainian companies’ entry into European Union markets, export readiness, access to financing, and new opportunities for scaling women-led SMEs.
The event was organized by the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with the NGO “International Women’s Economic Forum” and UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group, with the support of the STEP IN 2 EU international cooperation program, which is co-financed by the governments of Germany and Norway, as well as the European Union under the EU4Business initiative and implemented by the German federal company Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
The forum was opened by Hennadiy Chyzhykov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who emphasized that women’s entrepreneurship today is not only a socially important issue but also a significant economic resource for Ukraine’s recovery, export development, and enhanced competitiveness.
“Among Ukrainian exporters, there are still half as many women as men. Not because they can’t do it. But because conditions have long been unfavorable. I am happy to see the community of women entrepreneurs growing. I am happy to see more and more businesses and institutions getting involved in creating opportunities for the development of women’s leadership,” noted Hennadiy Chyzhykov.
Olena Kondratiuk, Vice Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; Tetiana Anishchuk, Deputy Head of the STEP IN 2 EU Program at GIZ Ukraine; and Nataliia Kolomatska, Deputy Chair of the Management Board and Chief Operating Officer of UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group, also addressed the forum participants and guests with welcoming remarks.
In her speech, Olena Kondratiuk emphasized that Ukrainian women are already a powerful force for the country’s economic resilience. She stressed that women not only start new businesses but also take responsibility for jobs, communities, families, export opportunities, and the future of the Ukrainian economy.
“The strength of Ukrainian women is not an abstraction. It is the ability to quickly adapt to new conditions and keep the economy afloat,” emphasized Olena Kondratyuk.
Separately, during the forum, it was highlighted that women’s entrepreneurship in Ukraine is growing even amid the war. Women are increasingly establishing new companies, entering international markets, engaging in export activities, and developing manufacturing, social enterprises, service businesses, creative industries, technological solutions, and high-value-added products.
The forum’s program was structured around several key thematic blocks. The first panel discussion focused on the role of women’s business associations, chambers, clubs, and international networks in supporting female entrepreneurs. Participants noted that the development of women’s businesses requires not only individual grant or training programs, but a sustainable support infrastructure: access to knowledge, mentorship, partnerships, markets, financial instruments, and international contacts.
Particular attention was paid to how Ukrainian women’s business organizations can strengthen one another, develop a shared agenda, engage with international partners, and become the voice of women entrepreneurs in dialogue with the government, donors, financial institutions, and European business networks.
The second panel focused on programs supporting women’s entrepreneurship implemented by international organizations, donor programs, and development partners. The discussion covered opportunities for Ukrainian companies in the areas of training, consulting, grant support, export preparation, entering EU markets, digitalization, sustainable development, and enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses.
Representatives of international partners emphasized that support for women entrepreneurs must be practical, long-term, and tied to real business needs. The discussion focused not only on general issues of women’s leadership but also on specific tools: how to prepare a company for export, how to assess readiness for the international market, how to adapt a product to EU requirements, and how to navigate regulatory barriers, certification, logistics, financing, and partnership channels.
The third panel discussion was dedicated to the practical experiences of women entrepreneurs: exporting, scaling up, and entering European Union markets. Participants shared their own stories of growth, mistakes, challenges, and solutions that helped them expand beyond the Ukrainian market. Key topics included adapting business models, building trust with foreign partners, participating in international exhibitions, brand development, working with distributors, securing financing, and building the reputation of Ukrainian products abroad.
The panelists emphasized that Ukrainian businesses today export not only goods or services but also a new quality of entrepreneurial thinking: flexibility, speed of decision-making, the ability to operate under conditions of uncertainty, responsibility, and high internal motivation. It is precisely these traits that make Ukrainian companies competitive in international markets.
A separate focus of the forum was the topic of the event’s practical follow-up. The International Women’s Economic Forum 2026 is not viewed as a one-time event. Its goal is to become a platform for systematic support of women entrepreneurs who seek to scale their businesses, enter foreign markets, and strengthen their export capacity.
As part of the follow-up work after the forum, 15 women entrepreneurs will be selected to receive individual consultations on business internationalization, export readiness, entering EU markets, regulatory compliance, developing an international strategy, and practical steps for scaling up. This format will allow the forum’s discussions to be transformed into concrete roadmaps for the development of Ukrainian women-led SMEs.
Overall, the forum brought together the entrepreneurial, expert, international, and institutional communities around a common goal—to make women in the Ukrainian economy more visible, stronger, better represented in international trade, and more integrated into European and global value chains.
The 2026 International Women’s Economic Forum demonstrated that Ukrainian women are already one of the key drivers of the country’s economic resilience. They are starting businesses, opening new markets, representing Ukraine abroad, supporting teams, investing in community development, and shaping a new culture of entrepreneurship—one that is bold, responsible, and open to the world.
And that is precisely why the forum’s main message rang out particularly clearly: make way for the bold.
Interfax-Ukraine – information partner.
According to Serbian Economist, Albania has revised its rules for foreigners, significantly simplifying the process of applying for residence and work permits. Under the new regulations, foreign nationals can now submit their applications entirely online, and a temporary confirmation of their right to stay must be issued within one business day of application. This was reported by the Albanian state agency ATA.
The reform applies to foreign residents as well as entrepreneurs and employees applying for residence and work permits. The authorities have standardized the lists of required documents, allowed financial and supporting documents to be submitted in Albanian or English, and clarified procedures for specific categories of employment.
Albania is taking another step toward a more liberal regime for foreign business and long-term residency. For entrepreneurs, the most important aspect is that the administrative part of the process becomes faster and more predictable, while for residents, it is that some of the previous delays between submitting documents and confirming legal status are being eliminated. This is particularly important for the real estate market, small businesses, services, and remote work, where the foreign presence in the country has grown significantly in recent years.
Against the backdrop of this reform, Albania remains a country with a relatively significant foreign presence. According to INSTAT, as of the end of 2024, there were 21,940 foreigners with residence permits in the country. The main reason for obtaining permits was employment—54.3%, followed by family reunification—24.5%, other grounds—16.3%, education—4.0%, and humanitarian reasons—0.9%.
Official INSTAT statistics show that the largest groups of foreigners with residence permits in Albania in 2024 were from Kosovo—4,592 people, Italy—3,763, as well as Turkey, India, and the Philippines.
https://t.me/relocationrs/2713
On March 26, the first in-person awards ceremony for the leaders of the OpenDataBot Index took place in Kyiv. The event brought together executives and top management from leading Ukrainian companies—those shaping the country’s economy today.
The OpenDataBot Index is a ranking based exclusively on companies’ financial reports. It is impossible to influence the results—positions are determined solely by numbers. That is why it has become a trusted tool for businesses, the media, and readers.
This year, over a hundred guests, representing their companies, received awards from the Index—a special “Scythian Woman” statuette.
“We chose the Scythian Woman—a symbol that has stood on our land for millennia. She holds a bowl to her chest—this represents openness, a willingness to show how you work, to clearly demonstrate your numbers, scale, and results. That is why the OpenDataBot Index is an award for companies that operate transparently, that can be verified, and that stand by their name,” comments Oleksiy Ivanin, CEO of OpenDataBot
During the event, participants discussed the role of transparency in economic development, the importance of trust and business accountability in wartime, as well as how the interaction between business and the media is changing.
The OpenDataBot Index has become a meeting point between the interests of businesses seeking to be heard and the media wanting to report on real results.
Oschadbank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have signed a letter of mandate regarding the preparation and implementation of a new risk-sharing facility to support Ukrainian businesses with a financing portfolio of up to €510 million, the state-owned bank announced on Monday.
The document was signed in London following a meeting between Oschadbank CEO Yuriy Katsion and EBRD Managing Director and Head of Financial Institutions Francis Malige on the sidelines of the “Pathways to Paris 2026” conference.
“To date, the total financing limit under the risk-sharing programs implemented by Oschadbank with the EBRD since early 2024 has reached EUR300 million,” Katsion noted.
Under the new instrument, the EBRD may assume up to 70% of the credit risk for individual transactions.
The program is intended to support businesses that have suffered losses or damage as a result of the war, relocated businesses, companies contributing to economic recovery, as well as businesses owned by veterans, internally displaced persons, and women-led enterprises.
The parties agreed to continue working on structuring the program and finalizing the parameters of further cooperation.
Oschadbank serves approximately 6 million active customers and is the leader in corporate lending with a market share of about 14%. As of February 1, 2026, the bank’s loan portfolio stood at UAH 127.5 billion.
According to National Bank data, as of February 1, 2026, Oschadbank ranked second (UAH 494.51 billion) in terms of net assets among 60 banks.
As reported, in 2025 the EBRD allocated EUR2.9 billion in financing, including EUR504 million under portfolio risk-sharing programs, which facilitated new lending by Ukrainian partner financial institutions totaling up to EUR1.6 billion.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a resolution on the launch of a pilot project for a unified state electronic system in the field of food safety and consumer protection—“eFood,” according to a press release from the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.
According to the statement, the initiative aims to digitize services and state oversight, making processes more transparent and convenient for businesses.
“We are essentially building a new architecture for state control. eFood is about speed, transparency, and trust. The new project is part of a systemic reform of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection aimed at creating a modern digital ecosystem that will meet European standards,” emphasized the agency’s head, Serhiy Tkachuk.
As explained by Solomiya Starosolska, head of the Office of Digitalization, business interaction with the state was previously overly bureaucratic: more than half of the processes were managed in Excel spreadsheets, and registries were fragmented. The new system will consolidate these processes into a single, logical environment.
The “eFood” ecosystem will include a single service portal, electronic user accounts, digital profiles of market operators, a map of regional investment attractiveness, and a mobile app for inspectors with a video recording feature for inspections. Automatic registration of facilities will take a few hours, and the issuance of permits will take 7 to 15 days instead of 30. In the future, the system will consolidate up to 17 registries and enable the provision of over 500,000 services annually.
At launch, “eFood” will cover 9 key services, including facility registration and the submission of feed declarations. Concurrently, the State Register of Market Operators is being launched, which will serve as the core of the system. The pilot project format will allow for testing digital approaches and preparing the legislative framework for the full-scale implementation of the ecosystem.
The reform is being implemented as part of the Association Agreement with the EU and European regulations on food safety. This involves full integration into the European model, ensuring product traceability and digital data exchange.
