Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Five Caribbean countries are preparing for negotiations with EU on future of citizenship-by-investment programs

According to the Relocation project, five Eastern Caribbean nations—Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Kitts and Nevis—plan to send a joint delegation to Brussels for negotiations on the future of citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs, Prian reports, citing Investment Migration Insider.
Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit stated that the negotiations are scheduled to take place toward the end of September 2026, although the exact date of the meeting has not yet been agreed upon. The delegation expects to hold consultations with the leadership of the European Commission, the European Council, and the European External Action Service.
The decision to launch the joint mission was made on July 10 at a meeting of leaders from the Eastern Caribbean at Roseau, Dominica. In an official statement, the meeting participants emphasized the economic importance of investment citizenship programs for small island states and the need to take into account their dependence on CBI-related revenues.
The negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of the European Union’s hardline stance on such programs. As previously reported, on June 25, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner sent a letter to Antigua and Barbuda proposing that the investment citizenship program be phased out by June 1, 2028, with a 24-month transition period. According to industry sources, similar demands were also sent to four other countries.
The reason for the pressure from Brussels is primarily linked to visa-free access for citizens of these countries to the Schengen Area. The updated EU mechanism allows for the existence of a program that grants citizenship in exchange for investment—without the applicant having a substantial connection to the country—to be considered grounds for suspending the visa-free regime. EU documents also emphasize the need to strengthen vetting of applicants and to phase out such schemes.
As early as September, Caribbean states are to strengthen vetting of candidates and completely exclude individuals subject to EU sanctions from these programs. At the same time, the countries are working to establish a single regional supervisory body—Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA). The decision to form a common regulator was adopted by five states back in 2025.
ECCIRA is expected to set common standards for vetting investors, monitor the activities of national programs, and facilitate the exchange of information between countries. The regulator’s headquarters is to be located in Grenada.
Citizenship-by-investment programs remain an important source of revenue for small Caribbean economies. Foreigners can obtain citizenship after making a specified contribution to a government fund or investing in approved projects, particularly in real estate. As of 2026, all five programs continue to accept applications, and the minimum investment threshold starts at approximately $200,000, although specific requirements vary by country.
Caribbean governments intend to persuade the EU not to abruptly terminate the programs and are proposing that the EU take into account their role in financing infrastructure, climate projects, education, healthcare, and recovery from natural disasters.
According to Skerrit, the goal of the upcoming mission is to work with Brussels to find “practical and mutually beneficial solutions” that will allow for both the EU’s security requirements and the interests of small island economies to be taken into account.

https://relocation.com.ua/five-caribbean-countries-are-preparing-for-negotiations-with-the-eu-on-the-future-of-citizenship-by-investment-programs/

 

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Kyiv region overtook Kyiv in new housing construction volumes in the first half of the year

Kyiv region became the largest among the regional new housing construction markets specified by the State Statistics Service in January-June 2026, with 599.3 thousand sq. m, while 437.9 thousand sq. m were declared in Kyiv.

According to the Experts Club information and analytical center, around 9.1 thousand apartments were declared at the construction commencement stage in Kyiv region. In annual terms, the area of new construction remained virtually unchanged, decreasing by only 0.3%.

In Kyiv, the area of declared new housing decreased by 10.7% — to 437.9 thousand sq. m.

At the same time, the statistics on the number of apartments in the capital look unusual: the State Statistics Service indicates around 1.4 thousand declared apartments despite the significant total area. This may be related to the structure of specific projects and the specifics of the published data.

Lviv region became the third major market, where 501.5 thousand sq. m of housing and around 7.2 thousand apartments were declared in the first half of the year.

In Ivano-Frankivsk region, the area of new construction amounted to 248.4 thousand sq. m, decreasing by 20.5% year on year. At the same time, around 5.8 thousand apartments were declared.

In Odesa region, the figure reached 328.7 thousand sq. m and around 1.1 thousand apartments, but the State Statistics Service does not disclose comparable figures for the previous year.

Thus, in terms of the volume of declared new construction, the largest markets continue to be concentrated around Kyiv and the western regions of the country.

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Largest volumes of new housing concentrated around Kyiv and in western Ukraine

The Kyiv region became the largest among the regional markets for new residential construction listed by the State Statistics Service in January–June 2026, with a figure of 599,300 square meters, while 437,900 square meters were reported in Kyiv, according to Experts.news.

In the Kyiv region, approximately 9,100 apartments were registered at the start of construction. On an annual basis, the area of new construction remained virtually unchanged, decreasing by only 0.3%.

In Kyiv, the area of registered new housing decreased by 10.7%—to 437,900 square meters.

At the same time, the statistics on the number of apartments in the capital appear unusual: the State Statistics Service reports approximately 1,400 registered apartments despite a significant total area. This may be related to the structure of specific projects and the characteristics of the published data.

The Lviv region became the third-largest market, where 501,500 square meters of housing and approximately 7,200 apartments were announced in the first half of the year.

In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, the area of new construction totaled 248,400 square meters, down 20.5% year-over-year. At the same time, approximately 5,800 apartments were registered.

In the Odesa region, the figure reached 328.7 thousand square meters and approximately 1,100 apartments; however, the State Statistics Service has not disclosed comparable figures for the previous year.

Thus, in terms of the volume of announced new construction, the largest markets continue to be concentrated around Kyiv and the western regions of the country.

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New housing construction in Ukraine remains more than twice below the 2021 level

Despite a sharp recovery in 2025 and growth in indicators in the second quarter of 2026, Ukraine’s new housing construction market remains significantly below the pre-war level.

According to the Experts Club information and analytical center, based on data from the State Statistics Service, the total area of new housing construction in 2025 amounted to 5.8 million sq. m, increasing by 49.4% compared with 2024.

However, compared with 2021, when the figure reached 12.7 million sq. m, the volume remained approximately 54% lower, that is, more than twice as low.

In 2022, the area of new construction amounted to 6.6 million sq. m, in 2023 — 4.2 million sq. m, and in 2024 — 3.9 million sq. m.

Thus, the lowest figure for the period under review was recorded in 2024, after which the market began to recover noticeably in 2025.

In the second quarter of 2026, this process continued: the area of residential buildings declared for the start of construction increased by 6.1% year on year — to 1.65 million sq. m.

At the same time, the sustainability of the recovery remains ambiguous. For the entire first half of the year, the area of new apartment building construction was 2.3% lower than a year earlier, while the number of declared apartments decreased by 6%.

At the same time, construction costs continue to rise rapidly. In July 2026, construction prices were 23.7% higher than in July of the previous year.

Housing prices themselves are also rising: in the second quarter of 2026, they increased by 19.6% year on year and by 3.8% compared with the first quarter.

Thus, the Ukrainian market is simultaneously facing a recovery in construction activity, high inflation in construction costs, and a significant lag behind the supply volumes typical of the period before the full-scale war.

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Perfect Group is developing rental apartment concept in Kyiv in partnership with hotel operators

Perfect Group plans to expand its rental real estate business in Kyiv and transfer some of the apartments in its complexes to professional management by hotel operators.

As the company’s CEO, Oleksiy Koval, stated in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine on September 1, 2026, the first such project is being developed in the LA MANCHE residential complex at 46 Shchekavitska Street in Podil. Forty apartments have been allocated for this income-generating real estate project.

The operator will focus primarily on long-term rentals.

Another project is being developed as part of the Stanford residential complex at 35 Predslavinskaya Street. Here, a separate section is planned for short-term rentals, and Perfect Group is in negotiations with a major professional operator.

The developer also plans to extend some hotel services to the other residents of the residential complexes. These include concierge services, babysitting, children’s playrooms, dog-walking, and other additional services.

According to Koval, after a period of competition among developers based on price, architectural concept, and infrastructure, the next key factor in market competition will be service quality.

For comfort-class housing, the company intends to develop a similar approach through digitalization. Perfect Group is developing an app to facilitate communication between residents and the management company, process requests, and vote on additional services. Its launch is planned for before the end of 2026.

In addition to income-generating real estate projects in Kyiv, Perfect Group is building the VELMY aparthotel in Polyanytsia near Bukovel.

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Famous hotel in Montenegro to be auctioned for €30 million

One of the well-known hotels on the Montenegrin coast — Plaza in Herceg Novi — will be put up for public auction on September 14. The property together with the land plot has been valued at €30.742 million, the Serbian business portal Parametar.rs reports.

At the first auction, the hotel cannot be sold for less than 80% of its appraised value, so the minimum price will amount to about €24.6 million. To participate, potential buyers were required to pay a deposit of €3.074 million.

The sale is connected with a years-long dispute surrounding the company Vektra Boka, which managed the property. The proceeds from the sale of the assets are to be used to settle the claims of former employees and other creditors. Among them are the municipality of Herceg Novi and the local Water Supply and Sewerage company. CKB banka also has separate claims against Vektra Boka.

If no buyer is found at the first auction, at the second one the minimum price may fall to 50% of the valuation — approximately €15.37 million.

The package being sold includes land worth €7.01 million and buildings worth €23.73 million. The area of the main hotel property is about 5.44 thousand sq. m.

Source — Parametar.rs

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