The National Bank of Georgia calls for the owners of unlicensed exchange offices to conduct their activities on a legal basis and obtain a license for respective activities in a month’s period. Mr. R. Gotsiridze, the President of the National Bank of Georgia, announced about it at the meeting with the representatives of the Association of Exchange Offices. The Department of Non-bank Depository Institutions Supervision of the National Bank of Georgia has revealed 85 unlicensed exchange offices. Mr. R. Gotsiridze stated that the National Bank of Georgia will formulate the liberal license conditions for conducting foreign exchange operations for the exchange offices of the NBG in the near future. “We should maintain competitive environment in this sphere”. However, at the same time, we should protect the public from distribution of counterfeit currency. Currency should not be sold without any control in the street.” said the President of the National Bank of Georgia   at the meeting.   In a month the National Bank of Georgia shall submit a list of unlicensed exchange offices and information on the revealed violations to the Financial Police. According to the criminal code illegal entrepreneur activities belong to punishable acts and respectively are subject to criminal responsibilities.   As of July 1, 2005  328 exchange offices are functioning in Georgia, of which 209 belong to physical entities and 119 – to legal entities.