By Mokhi Sultanova in Tashkent Uzbekistan’s public debt jumped to $34.9bn as of January 1, marking an increase of $5.7bn over the past year, according to a report released by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The surge in debt exceeded expectations by $2.8bn. By the end of 2023, the public debt had reached 38.4% of the country’s GDP, an increase from 36.4% in 2022. The public external debt rose by $3.73bn in 2023, reaching $29.64bn, equivalent to 32.6% of GDP. Government-raised debt amounted to $23.91bn, while there was an additional $5.72bn guaranteed by Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, the state’s …