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Current account deficit declines to $8 million in September

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s current account deficit narrowed to $8 million in September, a 98% drop from last year, as remittances from overseas Pakistanis and lower imports boosted the country’s external balance, The News reported Friday citing the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data.

As per the data, Pakistan registered a deficit of $360 million in September 2022. In September of this year, the current account deficit decreased by 95% on a month-on-month basis. The shortfall was $164 million in August.

Despite the nominal deficit reported by the country, analysts had predicted a surplus in the current account balance.

“The improvement (in CAD) has come mainly due to higher remittances and lower imports,” said Fahad Rauf, the head of research at Ismail Iqbal Securities.

“The remittances are expected to increase further in October as the gap between open market and interbank has been addressed,” Rauf added. “We expect the CAD to remain low and might turn into a surplus in October.”

The country’s trade deficit fell 46.85% to $1.518 billion in September compared to the $2.856 billion it registered a year earlier.

According to the SBP’s data, Pakistan’s total imports declined 19% year-on-year to $4 billion in September. While the imports declined by 7% on a monthly basis.

With a 2% increase to $2.474 billion in September from $2.437 billion in September of last year, total exports indicated a little improvement. September’s exports increased by 2% on a month-on-month basis.

Remittances rose to $2.2 billion in September from $2.5 billion in the previous month. These inflows saw a 11% increase over the same month last year. 

In the first quarter of this fiscal year, the nation recorded a $947 million current account deficit, which is 58% less than it was a year earlier.

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Islamic Sukuk Bonds: Government Is Expected To Begin Bond Auction Next Week

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There is now more positive economic news for the people of Pakistan. The government is anticipated to begin the Sukuk Islamic Bond auction next week, after the central bank’s announcement of a large drop in the policy rate.

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SIFC Encourages Green Tourism: Reforming Visas to Increase Investment

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Enhancing investment in the tourism sector, Green Tourism Pakistan’s initiative has received backing from the Special Investment Facilitation Council.

Visa-On-Arrival for 126 countries, Visa-Free Entry for Gulf Cooperation Council nations, and 24-hour expedited visa processing are some of the main features of the Green Tourism Visa Policy.

It is anticipated that these endeavors will draw in about 80 million dollars in foreign direct investment and 8.3 billion rupees in domestic investment.

Green Tourism Private Limited has introduced hunting resorts in Naltar, Hunza, and Skardu, along with four- and five-star city hotels, to improve the tourism experience.

In the first phase of the project, 17 of the 78 areas have seen the start of development activity.

Approved is a central authority for Green Tourism that will supervise the growth of Air Operations.

To promote Religious Tourism, extra precautions have been taken to guarantee the security of visitors from all religions, including Sikhs and Buddhists.

Furthermore, in order to improve the quality of the tourist experience, the green guide quality program has been introduced to supply top-notch tour guides.

There is now a deluxe bus excursion from Islamabad to Peshawar that promotes local culture.

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July 2024 export data from Pakistan shows a significant rise.

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The Strategic Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has been instrumental in improving Pakistani products’ access to international markets, as seen by the significant surge in exports from the country at the start of the 2024–25 fiscal year.

With a 7.26% rise over the same month the previous year, July 2024 exports to the US were $476.017 million. After increasing by 7.74% annually, the United Arab Emirates emerged as the second-largest export destination.

The third and fourth places were occupied by exports to the UK ($183.303 million) and China ($60.100 million). A substantial increase in exports to Afghanistan was recorded in July of this year, rising from $46.262 million to $88.065 million, largely due to successful anti-smuggling efforts.

With a combined export volume of $553.951 million, more important export destinations included Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

A bright future for the national economy is suggested by the growing confidence major international markets have in Pakistani exports. Through the efforts of SIFC and the government, this greater access to global markets has been made possible.

Pakistan’s economy is predicted to remain stable as a result of the export growth that SIFC has enabled.

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