IslamicFinance.de

#Oman is preparing an international bond sale, as the country seeks to plug a budget deficit caused by low oil prices. The sultanate has sent invitations to banks to arrange the sale of a dollar or Islamic bond and responses are due this week. A fresh sale would be the latest in a series of issues by the oil-producing state. The sultanate sold US$2.5bn worth of bonds in June last year and tapped the bonds for an additional US$1.5bn in September. It was reported to have raised US$1bn from the international loan market last January and will get RO600mn from local debt in 2017. Oman is also seeking to reduce expenditure and from this month will impose new tariffs on its biggest electricity consumers. The state’s budget deficit is estimated by the International Monetary Fund to narrow to 10.3% of gross domestic product this year, from 13.5% in 2016.