Georgia to determine national currency symbol
By Jamila Babayeva
The Georgian National Bank has presented a shortlist as part of a contest to determine the symbol to denote the national currency - the Lari, the bank reported on February 27.
A specifically created temporary commission consisting of 12 members representing the National Bank, the Committee on Budget and Finance of the Parliament, the State Council of Heraldry, as well as the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Ministry of Education and Science have chosen five of the best out of 231 entries submitted for the contest.
The contest for determining a lari symbol was announced by the Georgian National Bank on December 27, 2013. The symbol presentation will help popularize the national currency in Georgia and abroad, as well as enhance its public image, according to the organizers of the contest.
"The commission preferred to involve the public in choosing the best works instead of directly determining the winner," the bank reported.
A special vote is being held on the website of the Georgian National Bank (www.nbg.gov.ge / vote). Anyone can participate.
The voting procedure will last until March 17. Its results will be advisory in nature and will help the commission to make a final decision. One cannot take part in the vote more than once.
The Lari was introduced as the national currency of Georgia in 1995. One lari consists of 100 tetri. Currently, coins of one, two, five , 10, 20, 50 tetri, one and two lari, and banknotes of one, two, five , 10, 20, 50 , 100 and 200 lari are in official circulation.
The official exchange rate of the Georgian National Bank on February 27 is 1.7480 GEL USD.