Sweden calls on Georgia to implement Moscow Mechanism recommendations

Of this, exports were $1.02 billion (increased by 22.9%), and imports were $2.48 billion (decreased by 15.4%). Trade deficit in January-February 2026 amounted to $1.45 billion, which was 41.5% of foreign trade turnover.

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Starting from March 25, notifications on transactions with any type of card will be available only through paid SMS bank, for 1 GEL per month.This includes balance change operations, and therefore conversions. Other notifications that accompany loan and deposit products. Among them, notifications of approaching loan installment deadlines or other reminders remain free by default.At the moment, among the five leading banks (by assets), only TBC was an exception with a free SMS service.Liberty, which canceled its free SMS banking at the end of last year, Bank of Georgia has a similar tariff, amounting to 1 GEL.Basisbank charges 2 GEL, while Credo customers can receive the mentioned service for 38 tetri.

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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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At this stage, TBC and the Bank of Georgia are only informing their customers about the change. Other banks have not yet made a decision on paid payments, or are in no hurry to announce it.According to TBC, when paying with a debit card in the national currency (GEL) on international channels, the maximum fee is set at GEL 10 (1.5%, max GEL 10). Purchases of GEL 5 are free of charge.When paying with a debit card through international e-commerce or/at a POS terminal, the 1.5% fee applies only to GEL. When choosing a foreign currency for payment (USD, EUR, GBP ...), the commission is 0%. The change also applies to the purchase of services, including air tickets. For example: on WizzAir.No cards are exempt, including student cards.The bank asks us to take into account that during the payment process, only the transaction amount will be visible to the user, without the commission. The corresponding commission will be deducted independently of the transaction.In addition, in the event of a refund of the transaction amount to the user's account by a foreign trade/service facility, the commission will not be returned to the user.

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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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