Business

Rupee kicks off week on wobbly note, depreciates over Re1 against dollar

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Rupee depreciates 1.35 or 0.45% against dollar in interbank market.
Expert says the backlog of payments putting pressure on the rupee.
Traders had feared that the rupee may further depreciate this week.

Rupee took a hit against the dollar on Monday as the local currency depreciated by more than Re1 in the interbank market.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the rupee closed at Rs297.13 against the dollar compared to Friday’s close of Rs295.78.

The local currency depreciated Rs1.35 or 0.45% against the greenback.

Capital market expert Saad Ali told Geo.tv that blamed the news of the current account deficit in July after four months of surplus and “lack of any new positive news on external inflows” for the rupee’s depreciation.

“I think the pressure on the PKR may be coming from the backlog of external payments now that all import restrictions have been removed on the International Monetary Fund’s urging,” he added.

The News had reported a day earlier that traders were fearing that the Pakistani rupee is expected to remain under pressure during this week due to an increase in dollar demand as a result of the clearing of import backlogs and dividend payments.

Fears that the caretaker administration will be in place for a long time and that this year’s elections may not be held as planned are likely to weigh on sentiment towards the rupee, the publication reported.

The rupee fell by 1.46% last week against the dollar in the interbank market. The rupee’s value against the dollar was 291.51 last Monday, but it fell further to end the week at 295.78 on Friday.

“The rupee is expected to continue to decline in the coming days due to the demand for dollars created by the release of delayed import and dividend payments,” a foreign exchange trader told The News.

“The import restrictions have been eased in line with the requirements of the International Monetary Fund. There was a backlog of payments before the IMF’s stand-by arrangement because there were not enough foreign exchange reserves,” the trader added.

The market is driven by supply and demand, with no intervention from the central bank, according to the trader.

The SBP said in its July monetary policy statement that the “market-determined exchange rate will continue to serve as the first line of defence against external shocks and support reserve build-up”.

However, Pakistan’s current account balance ended its four-month streak of surpluses in July with a deficit of $809 million. Increased imports were the main reason.

The foreign exchange reserves held by the SBP slightly rose by $12 million to $8.05 billion in the week ending August 11.

The market is bracing for the rupee to cross past the historic level of 300 per dollar, said Tresmark in a client note on Saturday.

“This appears to be the market consensus,” the firm said.

“However, in our opinion, there is a material likelihood of an ad hoc hike in interest rates, which may relieve some pressure off the rupee. Essentially, we expect the rupee to trade the coming week under the 300 level,” it added.

“Our view also factors in the increase in swaps, which depicts healthy liquidity levels, and micro-management of imports, and is based on the premise that a weak rupee will further exacerbate the inflation problem.”

A quick analysis of the last five interim governments shows that the local currency has depreciated every time, with an average of about 6%, according to Tresmark.

The currency also depreciated, every time, in the first three months that the newly elected government came in, averaging about 3%.

“Whereas interest rates increased by an average of 80 basis points in the interim government phase, but stayed largely stable in the first 3 months of elected government,” the firm noted.

Business

Gold prices in Pakistan approach an all-time high.

Published

21 hours ago

Farwa

Following a substantial surge the prior day, gold prices in Pakistan are ascending to unprecedented levels with an additional gain on Thursday, coinciding with a rise in global precious metal rates.

The price of 24-karat gold in the local market rose by Rs700 per tola, reaching Rs277,900, as reported by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA).

Likewise, the cost of 10 grams of 24-karat gold increased by Rs600, currently priced at Rs238,254.

Globally, gold prices exhibited an upward trend, increasing by $7 throughout the day. The APGJSA reports that the international gold price was $2,682 per ounce.

Notwithstanding the increase in gold prices, the silver market exhibited stability, with the price of silver maintained at Rs3,050 per tola.

In the previous month, gold prices in Pakistan reached an unprecedented high of Rs 277,000 a tola, driven by substantial gains in the worldwide market.

Business

World Bank: Power industry subsidies soar by 400% in just five years.

Published

21 hours ago

Farwa

Ninety-four percent of domestic customers will benefit from the budgetary subsidy in 2024, according to a World Bank report, which credits the increase in protected consumers with contributing to the weight of subsidies.

In the current fiscal year, the electricity sector subsidy has increased by an astounding Rs. 954 billion, from Rs. 236 billion in the 2020 fiscal year to Rs. 1190 billion.

Notwithstanding changes, the circular debt has averaged Rs. 400 billion yearly over the last four years due to the incapacity to minimize losses and inadequate recovery of electricity payments.

According to the World Bank, the government must solve the fundamental problems in the power industry in order to lower the burden of subsidies and circular debt, as rising electricity prices and inadequate tax collection will only serve to worsen the circular debt crisis.

The rise in Pakistan’s power sector circular debt has raised worries from the World Bank (WB) despite an unprecedented increase in energy pricing.

Within the last six years, the debt has grown by 1241 billion rupees, according to the World Bank’s study. Between 2019 and 2021, the debt climbed by 1128 billion rupees.

The electricity sector’s circular debt has been increasing at an alarming rate, according to a World Bank analysis. Between 2022 and 2024, there was a substantial increase of 113 billion rupees.

Pakistan’s electricity industry has 2393 billion rupees in total circular debt as of 2024.

Restructuring is required to solve the circular debt issue, according to the World Bank.

Business

Final settlement: Govt to pay five IPPs Rs 72 billion.

Published

21 hours ago

Farwa

On October 10, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif declared that the agreements with five IPPS would be terminated in the first phase. Sources claim that the government will give Rs 15.5 billion to Rousch Power and Rs 36.5 billion to Hubco.

In a same vein, the federal government would pay Lalpir Power Rs 12.8 billion, Atlas Power Rs 15.5 billion, and Sapphire Power Rs 6 billion.

The sources state that late payment fees are not included in the settlement. With effect from October 1, the agreements with the five IPPs will be considered officially ended.

PM Shehbaz earlier remarked that the termination was carried out with the owners of the IPPs’ mutual permission while presiding over the federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad.

The Prime Minister notified the Cabinet that the only money that will be paid, interest-free, to these IPPs is the outstanding balance.

According to him, the national exchequer will gain over 411 billion rupees from the termination of these contracts, while power customers will save roughly sixty billion rupees.

According to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, it was the result of the arduous teamwork of the entire government. In this regard, he also acknowledged the contributions and assistance of the associated parties. He specifically mentioned General Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff, who showed a personal interest in the situation.

The prime minister characterized the development as the start of a trip that will ultimately lead to the advancement and prosperity of the populace.

PM Shehbaz Sharif also brought up the assistance that the Punjabi and Federal governments gave to power users over the summer.