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Pakistani rupee declines in value against US dollar for fifth consecutive session

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  • Rupee reaches 219.71 in interbank market against dollar.
  • PKR depreciates by 0.37% (Rs0.82) on day-on-day basis.
  • Dollar also strengthens in open market, closes at 226.20.

KARACHI: The Pakistani rupee Tuesday depreciated against the US dollar for the fifth straight session after an increased demand for the greenback from the importers.

The local unit depreciated by 0.37% (Rs0.82) on a day-on-day basis to reach 219.71 in the interbank market, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), down in value from the previous close of 218.89.

The dollar also strengthened in the open market as the rupee lost 0.50 to close at 226.20.

Analysts have said that the local unit will remain rangebound in the ongoing week, depending on the demand for greenback by importers as the central bank has started to clear pending letters of credit.

Talking to Geo.tv, economist and former adviser to the federal ministry of finance Dr Khaqan Hassan Najeeb the movement of a currency in a market-based exchange rate can be largely influenced by three factors — market sentiment, speculation and fundamentals.

“The rather disorderly movement that was seen in the rupee earlier all the way to 240 was partly sentiment and partly speculation,” the economist said.

With the element of speculation slowing and the liquidation of export receipts held abroad, the rupee saw a correction to nearly Rs 218, Khaqan said.

“The exchange rate movement is likely to be more fundamentally driven dependent on dollar inflows and the foreign exchange reserves held by the state bank of Pakistan,” he said.

“At the same time managing the current account deficit is an important influence in the market-based exchange rate movement for coming months,” Khaqan said.

The central bank’s foreign exchange reserves decreased by $303 million to $7.596 billion as of October 7 due to external debt repayments.

The central bank’s reserves are enough to cover hardly one month’s worth of imports.

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Irfan Siddiqui meets with the PM and informs him about the Senate performance of the parliamentary party.

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The head of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Standing Committee and the PML-N’s parliamentary leader paid Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif a visit in Islamabad.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Parliamentary Party’s Senate performance.

Additionally, Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs’ performance.

He complimented the Prime Minister on his outstanding efforts to bring Pakistan’s economy back on track and meet its economic objectives.

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SIFC Increases Direct Foreign Investment: Investment in the Energy Sector Rises by 120%

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The Special Investment Facilitation Council is intended to help Pakistan’s energy sector attract $585.6 million in direct foreign investment in 2024–2025. The amount invested at the same time previous year was $266.3 million.

This is a notable 120% rise, mostly due to investments in gas exploration, oil, and power. Such expansion indicates heightened investor confidence and emphasizes the development potential in important areas.

The State Bank reports that foreign investment in other vital industries has increased by 48% to $771 million.

This advancement is a blatant testament to SIFC’s efficient investment procedure and quick project execution.

The purpose of the Special Investment Facilitation Council is to establish Pakistan as an investment hub by aggressively promoting regional trade and investment in the energy sector and other critical industries.

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Discos report losses of Rs239 billion.

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When compared to the same period last year, the data indicates that discos have decreased their losses in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

The distribution businesses recorded losses of Rs239 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year, a substantial decrease from the Rs308 billion losses sustained during the same period the previous year.

Additionally, the distribution businesses’ rate of recovery has improved. It has increased to 91% in the first quarter of this year from 84% in the same period last year, indicating success in revenue collection.

Regarding circular debt, the Power division observed a notable change. Last year, between July and October, the circular debt grew by Rs301 billion. Nonetheless, this year’s first four months saw a relatively modest increase in circular debt, totaling about Rs11 billion.

These enhancements show promising developments in the electricity sector’s financial health in Pakistan, where initiatives are being made to accelerate recovery rates and slow the expansion of circular debt.

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