Price of gold decline by Rs8,500 in three trading sessions.
Silver prices remain unchanged at Rs2,140 per tola.
Gold rate slipped under Rs200,000 per tola on Monday as the Pakistan rupee continued to recover against the dollar for the third straight session, prompting investors to shift away from the yellow metal.
The price of gold (24 carats) fell by Rs2,000 per tola and Rs1,715 per 10 grams to settle at Rs198,000 and Rs169,753, respectively, data from the All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA) showed Monday.
The substantial decrease in the price of gold came after the rupee recovered by 0.19%, against the US dollar to close at 277.92 in the interbank market.
The price of yellow metal fell Rs8,500 per tola in three trading sessions which was more than the amount it cumulatively gained Rs5,900, or 3.03% per tola during the week ended March 4.
The precious commodity scaled to an all-time high of 210,500 per tola on January 30, 2023; however, the gold price started receding after the rupee recovered on hopes of revival of the $6.5 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme.
It should be noted that Pakistan meets almost all its gold demand through imports, and traders follow its international price in setting rates in the country. Jewellers import the metal against the US dollar and UAE dirham before converting its price into rupees.
Meanwhile, silver prices in the domestic market remained unchanged at Rs2,140 per tola and Rs1,834.70 per 10 grams, respectively.
In the international market, gold prices retreated from an earlier 2-1/2 week high as traders awaited US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s testimony this week for hints on future rate hikes.
The per-ounce gold price registered a meagre decline of $7 settling at $1,849.
All eyes are on Powell’s testimony to Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by the February jobs report due on Friday.
“Currently, gold is in a wait-and-see mode,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. “There’s unlikely to be a change of script from Powell, reiterating the need for further rate hikes to bring inflation under control.”
Although gold is considered a hedge against inflation, rising interest rates tend to decrease the appetite for zero-yield bullion.
Due to the Special Investment Facilitation Council’s assistance, Chinese businessmen are showing a revived interest in Pakistan. Pakistan has recently sent high-ranking delegations to China to promote investment in industries such as renewable energy, medical equipment, leather, plastics, textiles, and plastics.
At port Qasim in Karachi, the Chinese solar panel manufacturer “Renesola Pakistan” intends to set up an assembly plant capable of producing up to 4 gigawatts of solar energy. An electric bike, scooter, and tricycle assembly plant is planned to be established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the Xiamen Sino-Pak International consulting and investment firm.
Pakistan’s renewable energy sector is of interest to Hexing Electrical, and the Ruyi Shandong Group intends to develop textile parks that meet international standards. Pakistan will also see the establishment of factories by Rainbow Industries Limited and Shaoxing Chemical Industry.
An exploration memorandum on shale and tight gas potential has been inked by the oil and gas development business and CCDI.
Relative to 570,692 tons in the same month last year, the data that was made public shows that the exports increased by 71.52 percent to 978,871 tons.
Still, domestic cement sales were down 18% in September 2024, continuing the downward trend.
The month’s total cement sales were 3.540 million tons, down from 3.751 million tons in September 2023, a 5.63 percent annual decline.
In terms of total sales, domestic sales decreased by 19.78 percent to 8.130 million tons between July and September of 2024.
At the same time, 2.140 million tons of cement were exported, a 22.19 percent increase. Even while exports have increased, domestic sales have decreased for the fourth straight month.
An increase in the guarantee sum for qualified depositors of member banks was announced by the Deposit Protection Corporation (DPC) on Tuesday. The increase was from Rs500,000 to Rs1 million.
All of the eligible depositors across the country would be afforded complete protection as a result of this improvement, which was approved by the board of directors of the DPC.
The decision was made with the intention of protecting the interests of depositors and fostering financial stability inside the country, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
A whopping 77.7 million accounts held by member banks are now protected by the DPC as a result of this revised guarantee. This contributes to the protection of about 96% of the total account holders in the banking sector, which equates to approximately 80 million personal accounts.
A number of experts considered that the DPC’s guarantee was insufficient in protecting depositors, particularly during times of economic uncertainty. Previously, the DPC’s guarantee was restricted to a maximum of Rs500,000.
It is anticipated that the decision to raise the limit will boost the trust of depositors and encourage a greater number of persons to interact with the banking system. This means that the decision comes at a vital time.
To ensure that access to this safety net is uncomplicated and uncomplicated, it is important to note that the deposit protection facility is accessible to all eligible depositors at no additional cost.
To emphasize the significance of preserving a healthy banking environment, the guarantee will not be activated until the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) declares a bank to be a failed organization.
The State Bank of Pakistan, also known as SBP Bank Bank depositors are protected by deposit protection charges (DPC) Deposit rates