Uzbekistan reported a slight inflation increase to 8.1% in April, with a 0.1% MoM rise. Food prices increased by 0.4% MoM, the smallest monthly increase in five years, while service costs surged by 1.8% MoM, a record for April. The Uzbek central bank maintained its 14% interest rate due to inflation concerns and anticipated price hikes in state-regulated services and new VAT applications.