GEL Purchases to Be Charged

The meeting focused on the official launch of Bybit’s operations in the Georgian market. As Natia Turnava noted, for the NBG it is a priority not only to safeguard financial stability but also to facilitate the entry of new market participants and promote greater competition.“We welcome the entry of such companies into the Georgian market. This once again confirms that our business environment is highly attractive, while our regulatory framework supports the development of financial technologies. It is also important that alongside the traditional banking sector, the non-bank financial sector is developing rapidly, including virtual asset service providers. One of them is Bybit, a leading company in the crypto-asset market with millions of users. The entry of such a company means greater competition and more accessible products in the payments sector,” said Natia Turnava.As noted during the meeting by Bybit’s Co-Founder and CEO, the licensing process in Georgia is strict and detailed, yet at the same time transparent and predictable, which is particularly important for international companies.“The National Bank of Georgia is one of the most progressive and innovation-oriented regulators in the region. The transparent and predictable regulatory environment it has created encourages international companies, including Bybit, to operate and invest in the country,” said Ben Zhou.According to Bybit’s Co-Founder and CEO, the company plans to implement a number of initiatives in Georgia, including educational partnerships, training sessions and workshops, as well as internship and professional development programmes. These initiatives will also focus on raising awareness of digital asset services within a regulated framework, encouraging responsible participation, and creating new employment opportunities.The meeting was attended by Nino Jeladze, Vice Governor of the National Bank of Georgia, Beka Dochviri, Executive Director of the National Bank of Georgia, heads of NBG departments, as well as Shota Lomtadze, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bybit Georgia.

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According to the change, when importing cars manufactured more than 6 years ago, each cubic centimeter of engine will be taxed at 4.5 GEL instead of 0.8 GEL. This means that the excise tax will increase 5.6 times.The new regulation significantly increases the cost of customs clearance for popular models:• A car with a 1.5-liter engine: the customs clearance fee increases from 1,200 GEL to 6,750 GEL.• 2.0-liter engine car: the tax increases from 1,600 GEL to 9,000 GEL.According to Irakli Kobakhidze, the above-mentioned adjustment is an alternative to the ban.“Instead of banning the import, a customs clearance tariff of 4.5 GEL per cubic meter will be imposed on the relevant cars. Accordingly, the ban on import will be replaced by an increased excise tax,” the Prime Minister noted.The initial initiative, which was submitted to Parliament on February 12, envisaged a complete ban on the import of cars older than 6 years. According to the government, the goal of the decision is to improve the ecological situation, protect the health of citizens and relieve traffic congestion. According to the Prime Minister, since 2012, the number of registered cars in Georgia has increased from 864 thousand to 2 million.

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The reorganization will be carried out in the form of a spin-off, in accordance with the current legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan.The CEO of Payme has been instructed to carry out all necessary legal and organizational actions, including the preparation of the charter of the new legal entity TBC Tech, the development of its governance structure, and other related documents.The press service of TBC Uzbekistan explained to UzDaily that the initiator of the reorganization is TBC Digital, the parent company of the TBC Uzbekistan ecosystem.The process предусматривает the creation of a new legal entity — TBC Tech LLC, which will take over part of Payme’s technological assets and team.According to TBC Uzbekistan, this decision is part of the ecosystem’s strategic development plan aimed at improving business efficiency and scalability.TBC Uzbekistan noted that the current stage of the reorganization is focused on the centralization of IT functions within the ecosystem.The company also reminded that earlier, in autumn 2025, as part of this strategy, the company TBC Operations was established, which consolidated the operational functions of the ecosystem.“Creating TBC Tech will allow the company to focus efforts on developing technological infrastructure, accelerate the introduction of new services, and improve the quality of digital financial services,” TBC Uzbekistan added.TBC Uzbekistan emphasized that the reorganization is purely organizational in nature and does not affect the current operations of Payme. All services continue to function in full, and obligations to customers and partners remain unchanged.The Georgian financial group TBC Bank Group fully completed the acquisition of the payment system Payme in 2023, becoming its sole owner. Initially, in April 2019, TBC Bank Group acquired 51% of the company’s shares. Later, in May 2023, the group purchased the remaining 49%, increasing its stake to 100%.

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Speaking on the issue of EU enlargement, Kos said that Georgia’s autocratic system is stifling democratic voices and distancing the country from a European future.The EU commissioner said Georgia is a vivid example of the consequences of Russia’s political success. She stressed that upholding democratic values is vital for the continent’s security.“You can see in Georgia what happens when Russia wins. An autocratic system is stifling democratic voices,” Kos said.Kos drew attention to the recently adopted laws, which, she said, are encroaching on civil space. She directly accused the ruling team of providing voters with false information about the European integration process.According to the European Commissioner, the government is creating the illusion that it is leading the country towards the EU and claiming that the union itself must adapt to its conditions, which is not true.Despite the harsh assessments, Marta Kos confirmed the EU’s support for the Georgian population. She addressed those who value democracy and freedom and noted that Europe “will not lay a hand” on the Georgian people.On March 11, the European Parliament will hold a debate on Georgia.According to the agenda published on the official website of the European Parliament, the title of the debate is “The case of Elene Khoshtaria and political prisoners under the Georgian Dream regime.”The European Parliament will vote on a resolution on the issue on Thursday, March 12.

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NBG Vice President Nino Jeladze said that the regulation aims to identify future risks.She said that she will continue to work. The regulation of stable virtual assets, so-called stablecoins, will improve risk management standards in the financial sector.According to her, stable virtual assets in circulation must be 100% secured by reserve assets that must meet high liquidity and rating.It starts with the offering document and continues with the verification of external auditors in order to provide the public with complete information about issuers, reserves and risk management.According to Nino Jeladze, the rule ensures the sustainable development of Georgia's stable virtual asset ecosystem.

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Specifically, Kurdiani sold 8,811 shares at an average price of £48.25, generating proceeds of £425,129.15.The transaction closed on the London Stock Exchange at the end of February.On January 9 of this year, Kurdiani received 1,109 ordinary shares of TBC PLC as part of a fixed share-based payment for work performed in 2025.Previously, on November 10 of last year, the Uzbekistan CEO purchased 4,825 shares of the group at an average price of £39.11, for which he paid £188,698.80.

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Despite the slight increase, Georgia’s indicator still lags behind the 2021 mark, when the country had a score of 76 and was among the top twelve in the world. Since 2023, Georgia has remained below the 70-point mark, which is a setback compared to the high indicators recorded in the period 2012-2022.According to the components, the sharpest decline in the 2026 report was recorded in the protection of property rights - the indicator decreased by 9.3 points and amounted to 53 points. The indicators of judicial efficiency (-1.5) and tax burden (-1.3) also deteriorated. Experts attribute the deterioration of the positions to the decline in the quality of governance and restrictions on business freedom.In contrast, a significant increase was recorded in the direction of fiscal health (+13.2), where the country received 89.1 points. This improvement is associated with a decrease in the ratio of public debt to GDP.Key Index Criteria (2026): Fiscal Health: 89.1 (+13.2) Tax Burden: 87.8 (-1.3) Trade Freedom: 86.8 (+0.6) Business Freedom: 76.6 (-1.5) Monetary Freedom: 70.2 (+4.9) Property Rights: 53.0 (-9.3) Georgia Maintains Leadership in Regional Context: Armenia is 52nd with a score of 67.1 Azerbaijan is 67th (64.3) Turkey is 117th (55.0) While Russia is 145th (50.3) The 2026 Index is led by Singapore (84.4), Switzerland (83.7) and Ireland (83.3) are in. The last places in the ranking are shared by Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea (3.1 points).

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According to preliminary data for 2025, the volume of equity capital amounted to $601.8 million, which is 15.3% higher than the revised figure for the previous year, while reinvestment is 3.8% higher than the revised figure for the previous year and amounts to $1.39 billion.According to preliminary data for 2025, the share of the three largest investor countries in total foreign direct investment amounted to 40.8%.The United Kingdom is in first place with 19.8%, Turkey is in second place with 10.7%, and Malta is in third place with 10.3%.According to Geostat, the share of the three largest sectors (in terms of foreign direct investment) in 2025 amounted to 56.8%.The largest volume of foreign direct investment was made in the financial and insurance activities sector and amounted to $607 million, which is 35.9% of total foreign direct investment. The second place is occupied by the real estate sector with $185.7 million (11%), and the third place is occupied by the transportation sector with $166.1 million (9.8%).The revised data for 2025 will be published on August 17, 2026, which may cause changes in the data for previous periods.

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