Banks are dollarizing depositors’ term deposits

This deal with Prosus, one of the largest technology investors in the world, will give TBC Uzbekistan access to new customer segments through OLX UZ, Uzbekistan’s 6th-most visited website. OLX Uzbekistan has 5.4 million monthly active users and 2.2 million active listings, making it a leading marketplace in services, goods, vehicles and real estate, serving over 20% of the country’s active internet users. This deal marks a milestone for Uzbekistan's fast-growing tech sector and stands among the most significant M&A deals in the country in the past 30 years.For the OLX UZ acquisition, TBC Bank Group formed a joint venture (JV) with Titan Investments, an international investment holding company backed by top-tier international institutional investors, family offices and sovereign wealth funds from the Middle East. The JV acquires 100% of OLX Uzbekistan, with TBC Bank Group owning 50% + 1 share and Titan Investments owning the remaining stake in the JV. The deal is subject to standard regulatory approvals. TBC Bank Group plans to consolidate OLX Uzbekistan, already growing profitably, into TBC Uzbekistan ecosystem.OLX Uzbekistan will continue to operate under its established brand.The JV between TBC PLC and Titan Investments brings a unique combination of expertise and successful track records of building and growing digital banking businesses and classifieds. Titan Investments team brings deep expertise in investing in and scaling high-growth digital companies, including online classifieds platforms. The joint venture will allow the Group to leverage Titan’s expertise while TBC Uzbekistan will focus on integrating digital banking products into OLX Uzbekistan and developing new products together with OLX UZ.This acquisition is set to unlock additional synergies for TBC Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s leading digital banking ecosystem reaching 21 million unique registered users and is part of TBC Group’s continued profitable growth strategy. It follows TBC Bank Group’s agreement in June to acquire a majority stake in BILLZ retail management SaaS platform, further strengthening and diversifying TBC's market-leading offering in Uzbekistan.Nika Kurdiani, CEO of TBC Uzbekistan, commented: “Our ecosystem counts 21 million unique registered users, reaching over half of Uzbekistan’s population. We continue to grow rapidly, enabling our customers to handle their financial and lifestyle needs through our seamless interface. The acquisition of the country’s leading classifieds platform OLX Uzbekistan is the next logical step in our expansion and diversification strategy, as we add new customers, continue to move into new segments and increase our share of customer attention. This acquisition is set to unlock powerful synergies between our platforms, accelerating our ability to deliver best-in-class digital banking products for existing and new customers. We are proud to partner with Titan Investments for this deal, who are bringing their successful track record of scaling classifieds into the mix. We’re delighted to be able to leverage the OLX potential and accelerate its growth and aim to fully consolidate this platform into the TBC Uzbekistan ecosystem in the longer term.”The TBC Uzbekistan business is managed by TBC Digital holding company, which is 80% owned by TBC Bank Group with EBRD and IFC each holding 10%. TBC Capital is acting as the sole M&A advisor to TBC Bank Group on this transaction.

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Although Khizanishvili is widely recognized for her vivid and colorful canvases, her black-and-white drawings in pencil are being presented here for the first time as a separate body of work.What do these graphic works reveal? At first glance, they might resemble illustrations for a fairy tale. Yet the narrative, the myth, or the character they might belong to remains elusive. Khizanishvili’s women appear as heroines of unknown myths, inhabiting enigmatic scenes whose storylines resist easy deciphering. Their mystery recalls the black-and-white collagraph prints of the Cuban graphic artist Belkis Ayón, who drew on the secret, orally transmitted stories of the Abakuá religious society.Khizanishvili paints her canvases in the studio, but her works on paper are created at home. As the artist herself notes, each drawing functions like a diary entry. With graphite pencil she renders exaggerated figures of her protagonists—giant women whose very skin takes on a strange, textured surface. Through layers of directional hatching she transforms their bodies until they seem clothed in scales or wings. These figures may be dining, embracing skull-headed creatures, or lying in a sulfur bath where a masseur stands pressing down on them with his feet.  A lot is happening in these drawings: the artist uses her imagination to create a personal iconography and tells stories through her own characters.Rusudan Khizanishvili lives and works in Tbilisi. Over the past decade, her work has been exhibited extensively in Georgia and internationally. She currently collaborates with several international galleries, including Kornfeld (Berlin), LJ Galerie (Paris), Mimmo Scognamiglio (Milan), and Window Project (Tbilisi).In 2025 she held a solo exhibition at Seojung Art Gallery (Busan/Seoul, South Korea) and participated in a three-artist group exhibition at Kornfeld (Berlin). Later this year, a duo exhibition is planned at CAM Galería (Mexico City, Mexico).Her works are part of several public and private collections, including the Georgian National Museum of Art, Oni Regional Museum, the Kvareli foundation, and the Breus Foundation.All works on view are courtesy of the artist and gallery Window Project, Tbilisi.Curated by Irena Popiashvili.Venue: Marjanishvili 7, TBC Concept  FlagshipExhibition opening: September 1st, 18:00- 20:00Exhibiton duration – 1.09.-15.10.2025Opening hours: Monday – Saturday, 10:00 – 20:00.

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Bank of Georgia earned the highest amount from conversion operations, exceeding GEL 200 million (+ 9.3%Y.Y).TBC Bank saw a decline of 15%Y.Y. while Credo Bank recorded the highest growth, with a 74% increase compared to the previous year.

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Credo closed the first seven months with a return on equity (ROE) of 20.09%, moving up to 3rd place. Last year, it held 4th place with an ROE of 16.8%.

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“Our core markets – Georgia and Armenia – showed stronger-than-expected growth and economic stability. In Q2 2025, according to preliminary data from the National Statistics Office, Georgia’s economy grew by 7.1% year-on-year, driven by robust external inflows and solid domestic demand. Meanwhile, Armenia posted an average growth rate of 8.1%, mainly supported by strong internal demand,” said the CEO.As a result, the Group has revised its 2025 real GDP growth forecasts: Georgia: revised to 7.5%, up from the previous forecast of 6.8% Armenia: revised to 5%, up from the previous 4.5% Gachechiladze also noted that due to strong inflows into Georgia, the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) purchased more than $1 billion in the first seven months of 2025, boosting international reserves to over $5 billion. At the same time, the government continued to reduce foreign currency-denominated debt.“Alongside solid economic fundamentals, the signing of a historic peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan represents a positive signal. This could potentially support new regional investment and development, thereby strengthening the overall economic outlook. We expect this to provide an additional stimulus for our operations,” Gachechiladze added.According to NBG data, as of July 2025, Georgia’s international reserves had increased by $331.3 million, surpassing the $5 billion threshold.For context, the National Bank of Georgia made the following net foreign currency purchases via the BMatch platform in 2025: March: $101.7 million April: $266.4 million May: $245.4 million June: $266 million These net FX purchases contributed to an increase of approximately $400 million in international reserves. July’s figures are expected to be disclosed on August 25, following the release of the official report.

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The Programme is consistent with the Company’s GEL 700 million capital return programme, announced on 6 August 2025, which will run through the end of 2027 and cover capital returns through share buybacks, dividends, and the potential early paydown of the existing US$ 150 million local Holding Company bonds.In accordance with the authority granted by the shareholders at the 2025 annual general meeting (“AGM”), the maximum number of shares that may be repurchased is 4,620,275. The Programme is conducted within certain pre-set parameters, and in accordance with the general authority to repurchase shares granted at the 2025 AGM, Chapter 12 of the FCA Listing Rules, and the provisions of the Market Abuse Regulation 596/2014/EU and of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 (as they form part of UK domestic law).The Company has appointed Numis Securities Limited (“Deutsche Numis”) to manage an irrevocable, non‐discretionary share buyback programme until the end of the Programme. During closed periods the Company and its directors have no power to invoke any changes to the Programme and it is being executed at the sole discretion of Deutsche Numis.Georgia Capital PLC to join MSCI UK Small Cap Index Georgia Capital PLC (the “Company”) announces today that, following the results of MSCI Inc.’s August 2025 Index Review, it has been included in the MSCI UK Small Cap Index. The inclusion will be implemented at the close of business on 26 August 2025. The inclusion reflects the Company’s recent strong trading performance, higher trading volumes of the Company’s shares and the increase in Georgia Capital’s market capitalisation to in excess of US$ 1 billion.

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The declaration warns that, should Georgia fail to make progress in reversing its authoritarian trajectory, the members will consider challenging the credentials of the Georgian delegation.“On 29 January 2025, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted Resolution 2585 (2025) ratifying the credentials of the Georgian delegation on the condition that Georgia meets democratic benchmarks by April 2025, including the release of political prisoners and the announcement of new parliamentary elections under improved electoral conditions.Instead, the situation has worsened dramatically. Senior opposition leaders have been imprisoned. Civil society activists and journalists face politically motivated criminal prosecution. This is no longer a series of isolated incidents but a sustained campaign to eliminate democratic opposition, restrict freedom of expression and silence civil society. Furthermore, the Georgian delegation has unilaterally withdrawn from the Assembly.This path of repression and disengagement violates Georgia’s obligations as a Council of Europe member and defies the Assembly’s authority. The Assembly must uphold its rules and resolutions. Ignoring authoritarian backsliding within a member State undermines the very foundation of this institution.If Georgia makes no progress in reversing its authoritarian course, we will challenge the credentials of the Georgian delegation on substantive grounds and call for the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers to begin the expulsion process of Georgia for serious violations of the basic principles of the Council of Europe mentioned in Article 3 of its Statute,” the declaration reads.

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The United States President believes that the Ukraine-Russia conflict could have evolved into World War III.“Crimea was the heart and soul of that country. It’s beautiful. And Obama said, You give it up to Russia. When Barack Hussein Obama gave away, he told them, You just give it up. It’s not going to be any fighting. And so they gave it up. And that was really the beginning of a disastrous, long period for that country. That was the beginning. And nobody talks about that. If I gave up that land, I’d be on the front page of every paper for the next 20 years. When Obama gave it up, they didn’t even talk about it. Can you imagine?” President Trump stated.“I didn’t give him Crimea. Crimea is massive. I would say like the size of Texas or something in the middle of the ocean. It’s gorgeous. And they gave it up because of Obama. And the press doesn’t even talk about it. Well, they don’t talk about part of Georgia that was taken under the Republican president,” Donald Trump stated.The U.S. President went on to say, “They took the whole thing under Biden. They took Crimea under Obama, and they took a big chunk of Georgia under Bush. Right. But with me, what was taken? Nothing was taken. Nothing. I came in, and this thing was raging. I think it was heading to World War III.”

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