## Republic of Uzbekistan: Selected Issues

_IMF Staff Country Reports, July 11, 2024_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Republic of Uzbekistan: Selected Issues](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/cr/issues/2024/07/11/republic-of-uzbekistan-selected-issues-551715)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/publications/cr/issues/2024/07/11/republic-of-uzbekistan-selected-issues-551715/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/publications/cr/issues/2024/07/11/republic-of-uzbekistan-selected-issues-551715/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/publications/cr/issues/2024/07/11/republic-of-uzbekistan-selected-issues-551715/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Published: July 11, 2024
- Series: IMF Staff Country Reports
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400283345.002

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### Overview
- Publication date: July 11, 2024
- This Selected Issues paper discusses:
  - key channels by which fiscal consolidation impacts short- and medium-term growth,
  - international experience on how to make fiscal consolidation more growth friendly,
  - policy implications for Uzbekistan.
- A large part of the adjustment is implemented with high-quality efficiency-enhancing measures: reducing energy subsidies, improving the targeting of social spending, and curbing policy lending.

### Major findings on public spending and fiscal consolidation
- The World Bank Public Expenditure Review notes that nonwage spending in health and education is low and crowded out by high wage bills.
- Wage bills in health and education have been growing in recent years as efforts to improve pay in these areas were implemented.
- Low nonwage spending and large wage bills point to the need to:
  - review the adequacy of nonwage spending in health and education,
  - undertake wage bill rationalization more broadly given these are large sectors of public employment.
- In health spending specifically, consideration should be given to:
  - strengthening primary care,
  - introducing task-shifting to achieve greater efficiency from health wage bill expenditure by shifting its composition over the medium term.

### Public investment management recommendations
- Unify the public investment process irrespective of the financing source.
- Create a unified appraisal and selection process.
- Establish a single project pipeline.
- Improve project monitoring and evaluation to increase public investment efficiency.

### Subjects and keywords (as listed)
- Subject: Corruption, Crime, Expenditure, Fiscal consolidation, Fiscal policy, Revenue administration
- Keywords: Asia and Pacific, Central Asia and the Caucasus, channels of impact, Corruption, Fiscal consolidation, Global, government data, impact of fiscal consolidation, market regulation, privatizing state enterprises

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## Content in this bundle

- **Republic of Uzbekistan: Selected Issues; IMF Country Report No. 24/211; May 28, 2024**
  - [Republic of Uzbekistan: Selected Issues; IMF Country Report No. 24/211; May 28, 2024 (Markdown version)](/-/media/files/publications/cr/2024/english/1uzbea2024002-print-pdf.pdf.md){rel="alternate" type="text/markdown"}
  - [Republic of Uzbekistan: Selected Issues; IMF Country Report No. 24/211; May 28, 2024 (PDF)](/-/media/files/publications/cr/2024/english/1uzbea2024002-print-pdf.pdf){rel="external" type="application/pdf"}

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/cr/issues/2024/07/11/republic-of-uzbekistan-selected-issues-551715_