The National Bank of Georgia reported on Vice-Governor Ekaterine Galdava’s participation in the Central Banking Meetings in Kuala Lumpur, where she set out the NBG’s priorities for regional payment integration, including upgrades to core payment infrastructure and the planned rollout of an instant payments capability. Galdava said the NBG is upgrading its Real-Time Gross Settlement system so it can operate 24/7 and support multi-currency transfers, and that an Instant Payment System is scheduled for the end of 2026 to enable near-real-time consumer transactions at any time. Both systems are planned to use the ISO 20022 messaging standard to improve domestic and cross-border interoperability. She also referenced Georgia’s aim to leverage its location and the Middle Corridor, and outlined existing NBG measures to support financial innovation, including frameworks for digital banks and Virtual Asset Service Providers, regulatory and technical sandboxes, and a FinTech strategy covering the secure integration of artificial intelligence. Separately, the NBG noted that its Specialized Risk Department head, Alexander Ergeshidze, joined a panel on cyber threats and mitigation approaches in the financial sector.
National Bank of Georgia 2026-04-02
National Bank of Georgia details RTGS modernisation and an end-2026 instant payments launch at Central Banking Meetings in Malaysia
The National Bank of Georgia plans to upgrade its Real-Time Gross Settlement system to 24/7, multi-currency operation and launch an Instant Payment System by end-2026, both using ISO 20022 to enhance domestic and cross-border interoperability. Vice-Governor Ekaterine Galdava also highlighted Georgia’s regional payment integration ambitions and frameworks for digital banks, Virtual Asset Service Providers, sandboxes and a FinTech strategy, while the head of the Specialized Risk Department joined a panel on cyber threats in the financial sector.