Last week, Georgian companies closed in the red zone on the London Stock Exchange

The summit will be opened by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze. Welcoming remarks will be delivered by Mariam Kvrivishvili, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia; Natia Turnava, Governor of the National Bank of Georgia; and Sopnendu Mohanty, Head of the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN).This year’s summit will feature over 800 participants from nearly 60 countries, along with approximately 100 high-level speakers. Participants in the summit include representatives from major companies such as Swift, UnionPay, Luma Group, Accel, Tether, and Ant International, among others. Also in attendance are Yang Jun, Executive Vice President of the Bank of China; Binur Zhalenov, Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan; Holta Zachaj, First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Albania; Mu Changchun, Director-General of the Digital Currency Research Institute at the People's Bank of China; Hovhannes Khachatryan, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia; Emir Kurtić, Vice Governor of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Zdeněk Tůma, former Governor of the Czech National Bank; and Renat Bekturov, Governor of the Astana International Financial Centre.The two-day event will feature thematic sessions, panel discussions, and various working and professional meetings. Key discussion topics will include strengthening regional financial and economic ties, digital assets, the future of payments, open banking, artificial intelligence, and the cybersecurity of financial systems.Natia Turnava, Governor of the National Bank of Georgia, will participate in a high-level panel discussion, “Central Bank Priorities for 2027”, alongside representatives from financial institutions in Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, and China. The discussion will cover monetary policy, financial stability, and digital and cross-border financial infrastructure.The summit will place special emphasis on the development of financial technologies, the regulation of digital assets, and the implementation of innovative solutions. The agenda also addresses the development of regional financial infrastructure, international cooperation, and the expansion of investment opportunities.Additionally, a "Demo Day" for an AI and Open Banking hackathon will be held as part of the summit. The hackathon is a joint project of the National Bank and the Georgia Innovation and Technology Agency, featuring the participation of 28 local and international teams. The winners will be announced on October 28th, during the Demo Day."The 'Tbilisi Financial Summit' represents an opportunity for Georgia to strengthen its position within the international financial and technological ecosystem." "The event will help deepen cooperation with international partners, facilitate the sharing of experience in the field of financial innovations, and showcase Georgia's potential as a regional financial and technological platform," noted Natia Turnava, Governor of the National Bank of Georgia.The event is being jointly organized by the National Bank of Georgia, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, and the Singapore-based Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN).GFTN is an international network based in Singapore that focuses on the development of financial technologies, digital transformation, and modern financial ecosystems. The network encompasses leading global financial centers, including those in Singapore, Japan, and Switzerland. In 2025, Georgia also joined the network.

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Cooperation with Citibank enhances Basisbank’ s settlement capabilities, broadens its payment channels and enables the Bank to further enhance the efficiency and quality of the services it provides to clients.Developing its international network and strengthening strategic partnerships are key priorities for Basisbank’ s long-term development. Through closer cooperation with global financial institutions, the Bank creates new opportunities to support international business, foreign trade and access to global financial services.“Opening a USD correspondent account with Citibank is of strategic importance for Basisbank. This partnership demonstrates international confidence in our Bank and directly enhances the quality of service we provide to our clients. It enables us to offer faster, more secure and more flexible US dollar payment and settlement solutions. We will continue to expand our network of international partnerships to ensure that Basisbank remains a reliable and trusted gateway to global markets for every client.”- Lia Aslanikashvili, Financial Director of Basisbank.About Basisbank GroupFollowing Basisbank’ s acquisition of a 95.99% stake in Liberty Bank in April 2026, Basisbank Group is the third-largest systemic financial institution in Georgia, holding an 11% market share. The Group serves over 2 million individuals and more than 65,000 corporate and SME clients. It operates the country’s largest network nationwide, comprising approximately 500 service centers and nearly 700 ATMs across all regions and municipalities of Georgia.As of end of September 2026, Basisbank Group's total assets stand at GEL 12.4 billion, with a loan portfolio of GEL 7.9 billion and a deposit portfolio of GEL 9.4 billion. The Group recorded a net profit of GEL 178.6 million for the first 9 months of 2026.(R)

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Of the total financial assets, short-term assets amounted to GEL 8.9 billion, with a liquidity ratio of 50.6%. Meanwhile, non-financial corporations’ total liabilities stood at GEL 92.5 billion at the end of 2025, including GEL 23.8 billion in short-term liabilities.Foreign-currency liabilities totaled GEL 18 billion, while debt owed to non-residents, classified as external debt, reached GEL 11.2 billion. During 2025, non-financial corporations incurred GEL 3.3 billion in interest expenses and generated total revenues of GEL 24.8 billion.Debt servicing costs amounted to GEL 13.2 billion last year, covering both principal repayments and interest payments. Interest-related debt servicing accounted for GEL 2.1 billion, while repayments on loans from individuals totaled to GEL 172 million and those on loans from other non-financial corporations reached GEL 983 million.

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According to Geostat, international postal and courier services accounted for the largest share of revenue, at 67%, while domestic services accounted for 33.0%.Parcel deliveries generated 76.8% of the total revenue of postal and courier companies. Of this amount, 70.3% came from international shipments and 29.7% from domestic deliveries.Meanwhile, written correspondence accounted for 17.3% of the companies’ total revenue. International correspondence represented 57.8% of this category, while domestic correspondence accounted for 42.2%, according to the agency’s report.In 2025, postal and courier companies handled 16.4 million parcels and 7.0 million pieces of written correspondence.The average annual number of people employed by postal and courier companies stood at 4,600 in 2025, including 1,800 couriers and postal workers.

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The central bank said recently, several cases have again been reported in which unknown individuals contact citizens via WhatsApp and other communication channels, falsely presenting themselves as representatives of the National Bank of Georgia. Cases of the unauthorized use of the National Bank of Georgia’s official logo have also been reported.“According to the information available to us, these individuals offer to assist citizens in accessing various financial products, including loans, and conducting other financial transactions. In one particular case, a citizen was contacted by individuals claiming to represent a commercial bank and informed that an agreement had to be signed in order to access a loan allegedly approved in the citizen’s name. After the citizen denied having applied for a loan, the individuals contacted them again, this time claiming to represent the National Bank of Georgia, and persuaded them that they needed to take out the loan. Under their influence, the consumer logged into the relevant remote banking channel, activated the loan through internet banking, and transferred part of the funds to a third party’s account. It subsequently emerged that the consumer had fallen victim to suspected fraud.These cases once again demonstrate that, through so-called social engineering, fraudsters attempt either to gain direct access to consumers’ bank accounts or to manipulate consumers into carrying out certain transactions themselves, resulting in financial losses.We emphasize that the National Bank of Georgia, as the country’s central bank, does not issue loans to individuals or legal entities or accept deposits, unlike commercial banks. Nor does it provide any form of assistance to consumers in accessing financial products offered by commercial banks. Such activities fall outside the powers and remit conferred upon the National Bank of Georgia under the country’s applicable legislation.The National Bank of Georgia therefore urges citizens to exercise extreme caution. Do not disclose personal or financial information, including the username and password required to log in to a bank’s remote banking services. Do not enter such information via suspicious links provided by unknown individuals, and do not attempt to carry out banking or card transactions at their request. If you receive such or similar offers, verify the information with your financial service provider before deciding whether to use a financial product or carry out any transaction. If you suspect fraud, contact the relevant law enforcement authorities.We remind the public that, in order to protect the rights of financial sector consumers, the National Bank of Georgia periodically publishes warnings and educational materials on commonly used financial fraud schemes. Relevant materials are available on the National Bank of Georgia’s official website,” the NBG stated.

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According to the National Bank of Georgia, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have persisted longer than anticipated, prolonging the supply-side shock and, consequently, increasing inflationary pressures. As a result, the deviation of inflation from its 3 per cent target in Georgia continues to be driven largely by exogenous factors. In September 2026, annual inflation stood at 5.6 per cent, of which approximately 2 percentage points were attributable to energy prices. Moreover, disruptions to international transportation and shipping, coupled with higher energy prices, are increasing production and transportation costs, creating additional inflationary pressures through indirect effects on the prices of other goods and services. Against this backdrop, particular attention should be paid to developments in the stickier components of inflation, which provide a better gauge of the anchoring of longer-term inflation expectations. In this regard, core and services inflation remain below headline inflation, standing at 3.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent, respectively. Accordingly, the impact of the supply-side shock on inflation expectations remains moderate at this stage. However, given the prolonged nature of the shock, this remains an important risk to monitor.Amid more persistent inflationary pressures than previously anticipated and taking into account global developments, the NBG has revised its central inflation forecast for 2026 upward by 0.2 percentage points to 5.4 per cent. All else equal, inflation is expected to gradually converge toward its 3 per cent target from the second half of 2027, averaging 3.5 per cent for the year.Economic activity has remained stronger than expected. According to preliminary data, economic growth stood at 6.3 per cent in August 2026, averaging 7.6 per cent over the first eight months of the year. Notably, growth continues to be driven largely by high-productivity sectors, which offset demand-side inflationary pressures. According to the NBG’s updated central forecast, the economic growth projection for 2026 has been revised upward from 6.5 per cent to 7.2 per cent, while, all else equal, growth in 2027 is expected to be around 5.5 per cent.Uncertainty surrounding the further evolution of geopolitical developments and the magnitude of their impact on the economy remains elevated. Accordingly, alongside the central scenario, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) considered both high-inflation and low-inflation risk scenarios.In the event of the realisation of the high-inflation risk scenario, fundamental processes require a higher trajectory of the monetary policy rate than the central scenario. The key risk underlying the high-inflation scenario is a further escalation and prolongation of the conflict in the Middle East, which, amid additional disruptions to oil supply and refining, would push energy prices even higher. Moreover, disruptions to supply chains and the shift to alternative transportation routes would increase production and transportation costs. As a result, heightened global inflationary pressures would spill over to the domestic economy through imported inflation and tighter global financial conditions, requiring further monetary policy tightening and the maintenance of a restrictive stance for a longer period.On the other hand, under the low-inflation risk scenario considered by the MPC, the realisation of the risks would allow a faster normalisation of monetary policy stance compared to the central scenario. Specifically, under this scenario, strong economic growth, driven largely by high-productivity sectors, would prove more persistent than previously projected. This, in turn, would lead to a sustained improvement in the external position and an upward revision to the assessment of long-term growth potential. These developments would support a fundamental appreciation of the exchange rate and limit inflationary pressures stemming from aggregate demand. In addition, the scenario envisages a de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, resulting in lower energy prices compared to the central scenario. Consequently, inflation would converge toward its target more rapidly.“Taking into account the current macroeconomic environment and prevailing risks, the Monetary Policy Committee decided to keep the monetary policy rate unchanged. The moderately tight monetary policy stance aims to minimise the risks of rising inflation expectations and second-round effects, ensuring that inflation returns swiftly to its 3 per cent target once the supply shock dissipates. Should the prolonged supply shock lead to an upward trend in inflation expectations, which would amplify second-round effects, the MPC will continue to increase the monetary policy rate moderately. Once the inflationary shock dissipates, the NBG will gradually begin to normalise its monetary policy stance,” the press release reads.The next meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee will be held on December 16, 2026.

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During the proceedings, some representatives of the respondent side requested the recusal of the entire bench, while others sought the recusal of specific individual judges. Ana Tsitlidze, a representative of the "Unity - National Movement" party, stated that the lawsuit in question is aimed not only at banning opposition political parties but also at undermining the sovereignty and freedom of Georgia. Representatives of the plaintiff, "Georgian Dream," opposed the recusal motion, following which the court retired to deliberate. Following the rejection of a motion, the substantive review of a lawsuit filed by the ruling team has officially begun in the Constitutional Court. The lawsuit seeks to have five opposition parties declared unconstitutional, banned, and their registrations revoked. The case is being heard by the Plenum of the Constitutional Court, composed of seven judges. Substantive hearings are scheduled for October 21, 22, and 23.The lawsuit submitted to the Constitutional Court is signed by 88 members of the 11th convocation of Parliament. Based on this filing, the Court is tasked with considering the potential declaration of unconstitutionality and the banning of the following five political entities: "Unity – National Movement"; "Coalition for Change – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa"; "Strong Georgia – Lelo, For the People, For Freedom!"; "Federalist Party"; "The party "Gakharia for Georgia." Arguments of the Plaintiffs and the Conclusion of the Temporary Investigative CommissionAttached to the constitutional lawsuit is the conclusion of a temporary investigative commission established within the 11th convocation of Parliament. According to the plaintiffs, the named political entities have, since 2016—in a virtually continuous manner—rejected the political legitimacy of Georgia’s incumbent government and the ruling party, both in terms of domestic and foreign policy. The authors of the lawsuit assert that these parties have operated for years as a unified coalition, engaging in unconstitutional actions, including acts of sabotage against the state.The lawsuit cites the formation of an "Opposition Alliance" on March 2, 2026—intended for "joint work to achieve common goals"—as a recent example of this coalition. The plaintiffs point out that a declared principle of this alliance is the rejection of the legitimacy of elected bodies and public officials. Furthermore, the lawsuit highlights platforms established through the mediation of former President Salome Zourabichvili, as well as the cooperation between the "ENP" [United National Movement] and the party "Gakharia for Georgia" within the municipal councils (*sakrebulo*) of Chkhorotsqu, Tsalenjikha, Rustavi, Zugdidi, and Senaki following the 2021 local self-government elections. Furthermore, the lawsuit notes that although other small or fictitious parties are closely linked to the aforementioned entities (for example: "Elene Khoshtaria – Droa," "Yes to Europe – Strategy Agmashenebeli," "European Georgia," "Republican Party," "Freedom Square," "National Democratic Party," "Girchi – More Freedom," etc.), there is currently no apparent necessity to ban them, as they do not exert any substantial influence on politics; however, the question of their unconstitutionality may arise at a later stage.Human Rights Violations and the August 2008 WarA significant portion of the lawsuit is dedicated to the period of the "United National Movement’s" governance from 2004 to 2012. According to the plaintiffs, a system involving the torture and inhumane treatment of inmates within penitentiary institutions was established and developed during this period. The lawsuit states that fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights have been violated—including the rights to life, health, privacy, property, and media freedom.Furthermore, the lawsuit focuses on the 2008 Russo-Georgian War and related events. The MPs assert that, during its time in power, the "National Movement" systematically carried out actions that facilitated the occupation of Georgian territories and strengthened the political position of the occupying force.The plaintiffs claim that between 2019 and 2025, there were six direct attempts to overthrow the constitutional order of Georgia and alter it through violence. Consequently, the authors of the lawsuit, signed by 88 MPs - are requesting that all five named political parties be declared unconstitutional, that their activities be banned, and that their registration in the Public Registry be revoked.Proceedings in the Constitutional Court are currently ongoing.

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The merger will not affect the TBC Capital brand, its team, or the terms of service. Existing clients will continue to receive services without interruption, while the consolidation of resources between the Bank and the investment division will streamline procedures for opening accounts and updating documentation."This merger will make it easier for clients to access investment services and will provide us with greater opportunities to develop new products," noted Giorgi Tkhelidze, General Director of TBC Bank.TBC Capital has been operating since 1999, offering clients services in investment, brokerage, capital markets, research, and M&A advisory. In 2026, Euromoney recognized the company as the best investment bank in Georgia for the second time.Approval for the structural change has already been received from the National Bank of Georgia, and the merger process will be completed in approximately two months.

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