The National Bank of Georgia is responding to media reports that a shopping center in Batumi was planning to provide services using the Russian payments system MIR cards.

We are informing you once again that the MIR system is not served by any commercial bank or payment service provider registered in Georgia. Hence, payments services provided by a company not registered in Georgia to a Georgian organization constitute a violation of the Law of Georgia on Payment System and Payment Services, and qualify as an illegal entrepreneurial activity. When detecting such cases, the National Bank of Georgia immediately reports to the relevant investigative authorities.