WEEKLY INFORMATION AND ANALYTICAL DIGEST

News digest: taxation, VAT, customs, fiscal policy

Based on materials from imf.org, adb.org, worldbank.org / ifc.org — July 2026

1. IMF: "Europe's Fiscal Squeeze" — mounting pressure on budget spending

imf.org, July 13, 2026

The IMF published a report on the growing pressure on European countries' budgets from pension systems, healthcare, the climate agenda, and defense. By 2050, additional spending could reach 5¾% of GDP annually in advanced European economies and 8% of GDP in Central and Southeastern European countries.

The document highlights the need to mobilize revenue and improve spending efficiency — a methodology and set of recommendations that directly overlap with the mandate of the Institute for Fiscal Sustainability Analysis.

Read more → https://www.imf.org/en/publications/departmental-papers-policy-papers/issues/2026/07/09/europes-fiscal-squeeze-tackling-rising-spending-pressures-576826

2. ADB accelerates crisis response amid rising energy and food prices

adb.org, July 14, 2026

ADB announced the rollout of faster and more flexible crisis-response tools for countries in the region facing rising fuel and food prices. ADB President Masato Kanda said the bank intends to act "before shocks turn into deep crises" — through accelerated assessments of the impact on budgets and social protection systems.

The tool will allow ADB to swiftly support countries even when a crisis doesn't destroy infrastructure but creates risks to fiscal sustainability and public services.

Read more → https://www.adb.org/news/adb-speeds-crisis-response-energy-and-food-prices-shock-asia-and-pacific

3. IMF: study of the Kyrgyz Republic's informal economy

imf.org, July 16, 2026

The IMF published an analytical note, "Informal Economy in the Kyrgyz Republic," as part of Article IV consultations. Earlier Fund estimates put the size of the country's informal sector at around 24–26% of GDP, with informal employment as high as 37% of the labor force.

The topic of measuring the shadow economy and the factors that determine its scale (tax burden, quality of administration, regulatory environment) directly overlaps with the Institute's area of work.

Read more → https://www.imf.org/en/countries/kgz

4. Uzbekistan joins the OECD's Multilateral Convention against tax avoidance

oecd.org, July 15, 2026

Uzbekistan became the 153rd signatory of the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS MLI). The convention allows countries to quickly update their network of tax treaties without having to renegotiate each bilateral agreement individually.

Joining gives Uzbekistan access to tools for exchanging tax information and conducting joint tax audits with other participating countries — directly aligning with the Institute's objectives.

Read more: https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/tax-treaties.html

5. EBRD: Central Asia and Mongolia lead growth rates among the bank's regions of operation

ebrd.com, June 2026 (Regional Economic Prospects)

According to the EBRD report, the economies of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan will show the highest growth rates in 2026–2027 among all of the bank's regions of operation — 5.6% in 2026 and 5.3% in 2027. Uzbekistan's GDP grew 8.7% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026.

The forecast for Uzbekistan for all of 2026 is growth of 6.5%, and 6.0% for 2027, with potential for acceleration driven by faster progress on privatizing state assets.

Read more: https://www.ebrd.com/home/news-and-events/news/2026/central-asia-and-mongolia-to-see-highest-economic-growth-in-the-ebrd-regions.html