Online shopping accounts for 69% of complaints: GCCA publishes statistics on consumer rights violations

Over the past three months, 89.6 per cent of the population aged six and above used the internet, marking a 1.7 percentage point increase compared to the previous year. Usage stood at 92.9 per cent in urban areas and 83.9 per cent in rural communities, with virtually equal distribution between women at 89.7 per cent and men at 89.5 per cent. Across age demographics, usage peaked among 15-to-29-year-olds at 99.6 per cent. GeoStat noted that among internet users aged 15 and over, 96.4 per cent went online daily or almost daily, 3.4 per cent at least once a week, and 0.2 per cent less frequently.The survey revealed that the primary online activities for individuals aged 15 and over were dominated by social networking at 97.5 per cent and audio or video calling at 97.0 per cent. Internet banking was used by 61.0 per cent of respondents, followed by searching for health-related information at 54.5 per cent, researching goods and services at 50.2 per cent, and reading online news or publications at 49.0 per cent. Additionally, 41.7 per cent used the internet for email communications, 15.8 per cent for downloading software, and 11.5 per cent for job hunting or submitting applications.Over the past 12 months, 38.6 per cent of internet users aged 15 and over purchased or ordered goods and services online. E-commerce adoption stood at 42.7 per cent in urban settlements versus 31.0 per cent in rural areas, while usage among women reached 42.5 per cent compared to 34.2 per cent among men. By age group, online shopping was highest among 15-to-29-year-olds at 63.0 per cent, followed by those aged 30 to 59 at 39.9 per cent, and adults aged 60 and above at 17.5 per cent. Furthermore, connecting via wireless mobile devices was nearly universal, utilised by 99.8 per cent of active internet users over the last three months.Computer availability across households reached 57.9 per cent nationally, standing at 69.0 per cent in urban areas and 42.8 per cent in rural communities, with Tbilisi and Adjara leading regional figures at 74.1 per cent and 62.1 per cent respectively. Among individuals aged six and above, 49.9 per cent used a computer in the last three months, with the highest usage rate observed among children aged 6 to 14 at 89.3 per cent. Of these computer users, 70.0 per cent accessed a device daily or almost daily. Finally, mobile phone ownership among the population aged six and above rose by 0.7 percentage points to 93.3 per cent, reaching 95.2 per cent in urban areas and 90.1 per cent in rural regions.

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In addition, on the supply side, the residential area of ​​issued construction permits continued to increase. Despite the downward trend observed at the beginning of the year, the total area of ​​issued permits almost equaled the same period of the previous year. At the same time, an increasing trend in prices was observed in both segments: in the primary market, the rate of price growth accelerated, while in the secondary market, after stabilizing in previous months, prices began to increase again.DemandIn Jul-26, total number of sold apartments in Tbilisi, according to the Public Registry data, stood at 4,475 units, of which:• Sales on the secondary market increased significantly by 18.8% y/y to 2,294 (up 16.6% y/y in 7M26), reaching the highest monthly level after 2022.• Sales on the primary market, where data are impacted by delayed registrations, were up 24.4% y/y to 2,181 (up 19.9% y/y in 7M26).• Our real-time survey of developers, which captures current trends on the primary market, showed that number of apartments sold on the primary market increased significantly by 14.8% y/y. Cumulatively, the number of apartments sold on the primary market was up 30.1% y/y in 7M26. In total, 27,274 transactions were registered in Tbilisi in 7M26, bringing the residential market value to US$ 2.5bn (+27.3% y/y).SupplyIn Jul-26, the area of issued permits continued increasing, up 50.3% y/y (to 182,789 sq.m in 17 construction projects). Despite the earlier 8 consecutive months of declining trend, permit issuance rebounded over the last two months, bringing cumulative permitted living area in 7M26 broadly in line with the previous year, down just 0.3% y/y.PricesIn Jul-26, primary market price growth accelerated to 0.7% m/m, reaching US$ 1,426 per sq.m. The average price on the secondary market (for new buildings built with permits issued from 2013) was up 2.0% m/m, reaching US$ 1,372 per sq.m.RentsIn Jul-26, price for renting an average (50-60 sq.m) apartment in Tbilisi remained high at US$ 10.1 per sq.m (+0.3% m/m), keeping rental yield high at 8.5%.

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According to the NBG, additional protective mechanisms apply in cases where a tax service provider (including a commercial bank, micro-bank, registered tax service provider and microfinance organisation) simultaneously reveals four circumstances: Payment transaction is associated with high-risk fraud activity; An unusual pattern of consumer spending and behavior is identified; The amount of the payment operation exceeds 500 GEL; The age of the customer is above 60. “In all the cases listed above, the payment service provider is required to suspend the execution of the electronic payment transaction initiated by the user for 48 hours, contact the user, and provide appropriate information regarding risks or potential fraud in a simple and understandable manner.The customer will have 48 hours to make the final decision. If the customer decides to continue the operation, he/she should confirm to the service provider.The amendment complies with the best international practice. A similar approach, namely, a mechanism for suspending high-risk transactions of a certain volume, is in place in countries such as the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom and EU member states,” the NBG said.

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According to the National Bank of Georgia, the GEL portfolio is 44 million, and the foreign currency equivalent is 31 million. The retail portfolio of banks has increased by 17.3% annually, including up to 20% in GEL, and +7% in foreign currency Y.Y.The volume of lending to the resident household sector is 40.63 billion GEL.As of 7m/2026, the larization ratio of total loans is 58.7% (7m/2025 - 58.06%).

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Lion Finance Group (BGEO LN) shares closed at GBP 134.20/share (+2.52% w/w and +17.31% m/m). More than 216k shares traded in the range of GBP 130.50 - 135.60/share. Average daily traded volume was 51k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of BGEO shares traded was at 0.50% of its capitalization.TBC Bank Group (TBCG LN) closed the week at GBP 50.50/share (+5.87% w/w and +6.18% m/m). More than 265k shares changed hands in the range of GBP 47.70 - 51.35/share. Average daily traded volume was 55k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of TBCG shares traded was at 0.48% of its capitalization.Georgia Capital (CGEO LN) shares closed at GBP 44.00/share (+0.46% w/w and +10.00% m/m). More than 207k shares traded in the range of GBP 43.75 - 45.30/share. Average daily traded volume was 42k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of CGEO shares traded was at 0.60% of its capitalization. 

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MFO Central has violated the reporting rules: in 1 case, it submitted documentation to the supervisor late. In 2 cases, it submitted information to the NBG incorrectly.Accordingly, it was fined with GEL 2,000 three times and has to pay a total of GEL 6,000.Some of MFO's Pakistani owners also have Georgian citizenship.MFO Central is represented in the microfinance market with up to 6 million GEL capital, 14.2 million GEL assets, including a loan portfolio of GEL 6.8 million. Interest income (2,237,830 GEL) is mainly from the pawnshop (1,365,790 GEL).

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The dividend will be paid in pounds sterling to holders of ordinary shares of TBC PLC of record on the shareholders’ register at the close of business on 23 October 2026.The ex-dividend date is 22 October, the record date is 23 October, the currency conversion date is 6 November and the payment date is 20 November.The GEL/GBP exchange rate to be used for the payment of the 2026 Q2 dividend in GBP will be determined by the 5-day average of the official exchange rate published by the NBG, covering the period from November 2 to November 6, 2026.

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As stated in the joint declaration, the Foreign Ministries reaffirm their full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.“August 7th is a date when we remember the grave consequences of Russian imperialism. On this day in 2008, the Russian Federation took military action against Georgia, further damaging Georgia’s territorial integrity by occupying the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.18 years after the Russian aggression, we reaffirm our full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders. We welcome the Republic of Naoero’s decision to withdraw its recognition of the so-called independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We urge states that have established diplomatic relations with these entities to follow this example.We reiterate our condemnation of Russia’s ongoing military presence in the occupied breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in violation of international law as well as Russia’s obligations under the six-point agreement of 12 August 2008. Russia’s ongoing militarisation of Georgia’s occupied territories poses a serious threat to the security of Georgia and to regional and European stability.In October 2025, the European Court of Human Rights found the Russian Federation guilty of many violations committed in the occupied breakaway regions, including excessive use of force, ill-treatment, unlawful detention and unlawful restrictions on day-to-day movement across the administrative boundary line between Georgian-controlled territory and Russian-occupied territory. We urge Russia to implement the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights relating to this situation and to fully fulfil the commitments it made on August 12 and September 8, 2008,” the statement reads.Furthermore, the Foreign Ministries of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom expressed grave concern over the recent agreement signed between Moscow and the de facto authorities of South Ossetia, describing it as a clear violation of international law.“We are concerned about the latest developments in South Ossetia. The “Agreement on Deepening Alliance and Cooperation” signed on May 9, 2026, between Moscow and the de facto authorities of South Ossetia further violates Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in clear breach of international law. This document, as well as the appointment of a Russian citizen to head the region, raises concerns about a possible full-fledged annexation of the region, which would not go unanswered.We reaffirm our support for the “Geneva International Discussions” (GID) platform, co-chaired by the European Union, the OSCE, and the United Nations. This is the only framework that will enable the parties to work towards conflict resolution. We commend the work of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), and we will continue to support the role of the mission,” the joint statement concludes.

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