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Public Debt and Development: Finding the Productive Middle

The debt debate should focus less on volume and more on what financing actually buys.

Ishrat JahanFebruary 9, 20268 min read
Public Debt and Development: Finding the Productive Middle

Debt is not inherently destabilizing; weak project selection and low execution quality are the real risks. The policy question is whether borrowing is tied to productive assets and operational capacity.

Medium-term debt sustainability improves when public investment pipelines are transparent and completion rates are high. Hidden liabilities and delayed procurement have the opposite effect.

A disciplined borrowing framework should integrate project viability scoring, procurement safeguards, and public reporting.

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