Tashkent explores bond financing
Tashkent’s city administration has discussed a possible municipal bond issue with Oppenheimer & Co. to fund urban projects, according to Gazeta Uzbekistan. The talks remain preliminary, although the two sides have signed a cooperation agreement.
Gazeta Uzbekistan said the initiative is being considered as a means for the city to access international capital markets. The city’s leadership had earlier planned to seek $500 million through eurobonds, the report said.
Sri Lanka think tank quantifies growth task
Sri Lanka would have to expand by an average of about 8.3% a year from 2026 to 2030 to recover its pre-crisis trajectory, Institute of Policy Studies Research Fellow Asanka Wijesinghe said, as reported by EconomyNext. That estimate is above the government’s medium-term goal of 7%.
Wijesinghe said the economy grew 4.2% in the second quarter of 2026 as investment strengthened. He also pointed to increased imports and more expensive global fuel as sources of external pressure, and argued that domestic spending alone would not deliver the required expansion without improved export performance.
At a discussion of the institute’s Sri Lanka State of the Economy 2026 publication, economists proposed reforms aimed at raising productivity, attracting investment and making exports more competitive while safeguarding macroeconomic and debt conditions. Institute Research Fellow Lakmini Fernando said reaching 7% growth might require fixed investment equal to 30% to 42% of GDP, with the level varying according to how effectively investment is used. Participants also highlighted government investment, fiscal oversight, trade, secure energy supplies and preparation for climate risks.