GD will not invite OSCE/ODIHR to observe the municipal elections

Inflation in Georgia remains close to the target level of 3%. In May 2025, the overall price level increased by 3.5% year-on-year, while core inflation, which excludes highly volatile items such as food, energy, and tobacco prices from the consumer basket, declined slightly to 2.0%. Notably, long-term inflation expectations remain stable. Service sector inflation, which tends to be stickier and reflects long-term inflation expectations, stood at 2.2% in May.Overall, upward pressures on inflation are primarily driven by food prices, partly reflecting developments in global food markets. On the other hand, deflation in imported goods, primarily driven by lower fuel prices year over year, serves to counterbalance rising food inflation.According to the NBG’s central scenario, as previously projected, inflation is expected to temporarily exceed the target in 2025, averaging 3.8 percent, driven by base effects and global tendencies. Over the medium term, it is expected to stabilize around the 3 percent target.Alongside stable inflation, economic activity remains robust. According to the preliminary data, average  economic growth for the first four months of the year stood at 8.8%. As expected, the pace of economic growth is showing signs of gradually converging toward its long-term trend. Meanwhile, credit activity growth has aligned more closely with its equilibrium level.Global economic uncertainty remains elevated amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and persistent trade barriers. As a result, inflation is subject to considerable risks on both the upside and downside. Accordingly, the Monetary Policy Committee considered both high-inflation and low-inflation risk scenarios. On the one hand, military actions in the Middle East have led to an increase in oil prices.At the same time, risks of economic fragmentation at the international level have intensified. This, in turn, raises concerns over the deterioration of supply chains and the emergence of a globally inflationary environment. If these risks materialize and persist, a high-inflation scenario could unfold, one that would require a higher interest rate path than assumed under the central scenario.On the other hand, the Monetary Policy Committee has considered a low-inflation risk scenario, where the realization of fundamental factors would require a lower trajectory for the monetary policy rate compared to the central scenario. Specifically, amid ongoing uncertainty, the U.S. dollar index (DXY) remains weakened.At the same time, international food commodity prices have seen a moderate decline. If these tendencies persist, a strengthened exchange rate combined with stable international food commodity prices is expected to exert downward pressure on headline inflation through lower imported inflation.As a result of macroeconomic analysis and the assessment of existing risks, the Monetary Policy Committee has considered it optimal to adopt a cautious approach toward further normalizing the monetary policy rate, keeping it unchanged at 8%. Upcoming decisions on the monetary policy rate will depend on updated macroeconomic forecast scenarios and risk assessments.The NBG will use all available instruments to maintain price stability. This means keeping the overall price level increase close to the 3% target over the medium term.The next meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee will be held on July 30, 2025.

1750241361

According to the statement, this commitment is set out in the Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which both Governments signed in 2019.“Article 4 of the Agreement commits the parties to cooperation on increasing the stability and effectiveness of democratic institutions and the rule of law; on ensuring respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; on making further progress on judicial and legal reform. Article 341 of the Agreement also commits both sides to ensure the involvement of civil society in UK-Georgia relations and to facilitate an enabling environment for the development of civil society.It is on this basis that for many years the UK has supported civil society in Georgia, including voter education activities, funding for local election observation groups working to internationally approved standards and contributed to successive ODIHR/OSCE monitoring missions in Georgia.The Georgian government itself previously supported this activity and we reject its current description as funding ‘propaganda and extremism’. Nothing could be further from the truth. Georgian legislation makes provision for citizen monitoring, which is an important part of professional and transparent scrutiny of elections.We encourage the Georgian Government to extend an invitation to ODIHR/OSCE to observe October’s municipal elections and take forward all recommendations in ODIHR’s final report on the 2024 parliamentary election.The hopes and aspirations of the Georgian people are for democracy and freedom, and we hope that UK-Georgia co-operation, as well as Georgia’s co-operation with European institutions, will further contribute to those goals,” reads the statement.

1750240007

The dividend distribution of 32,816,826 shares was supported by 100% of investors.Lion Finance Group PLC (the “Company”) disclosed in its Preliminary Results for Full Year 2024 that the Board of Directors intended to recommend for shareholder approval a final dividend for financial year 2024 of GEL 5.62 per ordinary share payable in Pounds Sterling at the prevailing rate.The Company confirms that the dividend will be put to shareholder approval at the AGM on 16 June 2025. If the final dividend of GEL 5.62 per ordinary share is approved by shareholders at the AGM, the following dividend timetable will apply:Ex-Dividend Date: 3 July 2025Record Date: 4 July 2025Currency Conversion Date: 4 July 2025Payment Date: 18 July 2025The National Bank of Georgia Georgian Lari/Pounds Sterling average exchange rate for the period 30 June to 4 July 2025 will be used as the exchange rate on the Currency Conversion Date.

1750239763

“On June 17, Razhden Kuprashvili’s bureau began to enforce anti-constitutional Russian laws through the Murusidze court. They demand from us, human rights defenders, without legal grounds, to hand over personal information of citizens under our protection – victims of torture, women victims of violence, pupils, students, teachers, pensioners, disabled people, entrepreneurs, whistleblowers, journalists, observers, illegally dismissed civil servants and their family members. In particular, they demand that we hand over personal information, including names, surnames, photographs, financial and banking details, and health information of all those people who trusted us and do not benefit from our help.We are not going to betray the trust of citizens under our protection, even if this means our persecution and imprisonment. We will not share information about people oppressed by Ivanishvili’s regime with the Russian regime. We will take legal action against these orders. Their goal is clear to us – Ivanishvili is trying to destroy free civil society in Georgia, just as the Bolsheviks did in the 1920s, and the Putin and Lukashenko regimes did in the last decade. We declare once again that we are not going to live by Russian laws, accept the sabotage of Georgia’s European future, and will continue to fight to protect the rights of the Georgian people,” reads the statement.

1750239646

The Cascade Power Plant Management Company is issuing $10 million 2-year bonds (nominal value: $1,000). The loan bonds have no credit rating. They are green, unsecured, unsubordinated obligations.The issue was authorized by the decision of the Supervisory Board (Chairman Mindia Sabanadze, Director Giorgi Shukakidze) dated June 3, 2025.Key characteristics:Total Nominal Value – 10 million USD;Nominal Value - 1,000 USD;Issue Date – 22 June 2022;Maturity Date – 22 June 2025;Annual Coupon Rate – 8.5%;Maturity Date - 23.06.2027EDG's existing portfolio of assets includes 3 hydroelectric power plants.All of the Issuer’s power plants, except for Sashuala HPP, benefit from a long-term guaranteed power purchase agreement (“PPA”) with the Power Market Operator (ESCO), which results in predictable dollar-denominated cash flows, as the power purchase agreements are fixed in US dollars.The PPA allows the Company to sell electricity exclusively to ESCO for 8 months (September-April) at a maximum price of 6.00 US cents/kWh. The remaining 4 months are sold on the basis of direct contracts, in the local market and for export.The bond issue is planned to fully refinance the existing bonds (ISIN: GE2700604459). The interest rate on the bonds to be repaid was also 8.5%, the issue amount is TBC Capital. However, the group also cooperates with G&T.The securities will also be listed on the Georgian Stock Exchange.

1750167822

Salaries in the finance and insurance sector have increased by 22% annually, to 5.5 thousand GEL.There are up to 4.2 thousand employees in the information/communications sector (+5.2%y.y) and a specialist in professional/scientific/technical sectors receives up to 3,000 GEL per month (+11.3%Y.Y).The average salary of employees in the construction sector has increased by 10.8% annually, to 2,909 GEL.The average salary of a woman – GEL 1,744 still lags behind the average salary of a man – GEL 2,601, 1.5 times. However, the annual increase in women's salaries (+13.3%Y.Y) has outpaced that of men (+11%Y.Y).

1750167626

There are only 4,821 citizens in the portfolio to date.The net nominal return for May itself was 2.42%, and the real return adjusted for inflation was 1.98%.In May, 48% of the total portfolio remains in Georgia, instead of 48.6% in April, when the portfolio size was GEL 39.1 ​​million. The largest share of the local portfolio falls on certificates of deposit and term deposits - 40.2% (April - 39.5%).The fund invested 47.9% of its risky portfolio in global equities in May (-0.1pp m.m), while it held 4.2% in treasury bonds (+0.8pp m.m).In accordance with the law, a minimum of 40% and a maximum of 60% of the fund's high-risk assets are allowed to be invested in foreign currency-denominated assets and equity securities.

1750156950

As of the statistics published by NBG on Monday, the maximum share of remittances falls on the European Union countries, amounting to 44.1%, corresponding to $140.1 million. Among the European Union countries, it is worth noting the high share of Italy, Germany and Greece in total remittances, while the total annual growth rate was determined at 16%.In addition, the growth trend of remittances from the United States continues. In particular, an annual increase of 25.2% was recorded and the volume amounted to $59.1 million.Remittances from the Russian Federation are characterized by a decreasing trend. In particular, in May they decreased by 9.2% annually amounting to $43.7 million.In May 2025, $35.2 million (GEL 96.5 million) was sent abroad from Georgia, which is 16.8% more than the similar figure in May 2024 ($30.1 million).

1750156820