Business

Pakistan rupee outperforms Asian peers against US dolla

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Value of other Asian currencies relative to the dollar decreased.
Rupee outperformed global currencies, recovering all of its losses in Sept.
The crackdown has worked in curbing the open market rate.

As a result of a crackdown on currency smuggling and illegal foreign exchange trade, the Pakistani rupee has become the best-performing currency in Asia so far this fiscal year, The News reported on Tuesday.

According to data based on the MSCI Asia Emerging and Frontier Markets Index released by Topline Securities on Monday, the rupee has appreciated by 1.7% versus the dollar between July 1 and October 9, 2023.

But at the same time, the value of the other Asian currencies relative to the dollar decreased. In relation to the dollar, the Malaysian ringgit plummeted by 1.4%, the Korean won by 2.5%, the Thai baht by 5%, and the Bangladeshi taka by 1.9%.

When Pakistan’s caretaker government took office in August, the currency was under tremendous pressure. But in September, the rupee outperformed global currencies, recovering all of its losses and rising by 6% against the dollar.

On September 5, the rupee plunged to a record low of 307.1 against the dollar, but since the country’s central bank and security forces started taking action the next day to stop black market activity, the rupee has recovered sharply. In just five weeks, the rupee has risen by about 9% against the dollar.

“The crackdown has worked in curbing the open market rate,” said Fahad Rauf, the head of research at Ismail Iqbal Securities. “The economic fundamentals have not changed. Any further appreciation would probably create another bubble. SBP should step in to buy dollars and encourage exporters,” he added.

In addition to a crackdown on illegal dollar transactions, the State Bank of Pakistan’s structural reforms related to foreign exchange companies, exporters selling dollars, and panic selling by hoarders have allowed the rupee to retain its upward trend.

The rupee closed at 281.65 per dollar in the interbank market on Monday. It ended at 282.69 in the previous session. Analysts expect the rupee to surpass the 280 per dollar level in the coming days. This assumption is due to a number of factors, including: the IMF appears to be moving towards approval; another tranche will give the rupee wings; the closure of the Afghan border has reduced smuggling, especially of gold, which was the primary means of wealth transfer; the current account is expected to show a surplus; and remittances are anticipated to come as a pleasant surprise.

The government’s attempts to eliminate the abuse of the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) and the continued decline in oil prices will be very advantageous to the balance of payments, strengthening the rupee.

Business

SFD and Pakistan Sign Two Deals Totaling $1.61BLN

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

Two agreements totaling $1.61 billion have been inked by Pakistan and the Saudi Fund for Development to improve their bilateral economic cooperation.

Business

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign an MOU to strengthen their auditing industry collaboration.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

A spokesperson for the office of the Auditor-General of Pakistan (AGP) announced on Monday that the two countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in public sector auditing through improved cooperation between audit institutions of both countries, as well as training programs and the exchange of trainers.

This comes as a group from Saudi Arabia’s General Court of Audit (GCA), headed by GCA President Dr. Hussam bin Abdulmohsen Alangari, arrived in Pakistan on Sunday for a four-day visit.

The agreement was signed during AGP Muhammad Ajmal Gondal’s meeting with the Saudi delegates, aiming to strengthen audit cooperation, enhance knowledge-sharing, and improve governance, transparency and accountability in government spending.

Public relations officer Muhammad Raza Irfan of the AGP’s office told Arab News that the deal will further advance bilateral collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in addition to enhancing professional ties between the two nations’ auditing institutions.

In a statement released from his office, AGP Gondal was cited as saying, “This collaboration marks a significant step toward fostering international cooperation in auditing.”

“The exchange of ideas and methodologies will undoubtedly strengthen our capacity to meet emerging challenges and set new benchmarks for public accountability.”

Discussions at Monday’s meeting focused on fostering closer ties between the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, sharing innovative audit methodologies, and planning collaborative initiatives for the future, according to the AGP office.

The two parties decided to increase their knowledge of theme, environmental, and impact audits as well as to exchange best practices in audit standards, performance audits, and citizen participation audits.

The statement added, “It also agreed to exchange trainers, address new auditing challenges, plan cooperative audits, including a performance audit on the oil and gas sector in 2025, and work together on training programs.”

Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting transparency, accountability and excellence in public sector auditing.

Business

The government chooses to continue the PIA privatization process.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) privatization process will be restarted by the federal government, and expressions of interest would be requested within the month. Officials stated that the Prime Minister’s Committee on Privatization will convene to make the final decision.

Usman Bajwa, the secretary of the Privatization Commission, gave a briefing on the updated procedure to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Privatization. Additionally, he disclosed that airlines other than PIA are now able to compete with regional carriers thanks to IMF-approved aircraft tax concessions.

Farooq Sattar, the chairman of the privatization committee, underlined the importance of giving PIA workers at least five years of job security. Employee protection will continue to be a top priority and will be resolved prior to bidding, the Privatization Commission promised.

PIA’s liabilities totaling Rs650 billion have already been assumed by the government, and an additional Rs45 billion in outstanding debts must be paid before the privatization process can begin. As of the now, PIA has assets around Rs155 billion and liabilities worth Rs200 billion. It will be necessary for the new buyer to expand the fleet by 15 to 20 aircraft.

Additionally, the Privatization Committee has sought a timeline for the privatization of Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Islamabad Electric Supply Companies. Officials stated that after the appointment of a financial advisor, the privatization process for these companies will accelerate.