Connect with us

Business

Rupee claws back on bailout revival assurances

Published

on

  • Rupee appreciates by Rs6.63 against dollar in interbank market.
  • Local currency closes at 278.46 in interbank market.
  • Rupee had slumped by nearly Rs19 against greenback a day earlier.

KARACHI: The Pakistan rupee gained significant ground against the US dollar after Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s assurances of striking a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) next week. 

The local currency appreciated by Rs6.63, or 2.38%, in the interbank market and closed at 278.46 against the greenback, as per the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). 

On Thursday, the rupee slumped by nearly Rs19 against the US dollar due to the central bank’s monetary policy review and concerns over a stalled IMF deal.

The rupee slumped by Rs18.98 or 6.66% to close at 285.09 against the dollar in the interbank market as per the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), down from Wednesday’s close of Rs266.11.

Speaking to Geo.tv, ECAP General Secretary Zafar Paracha cited a few reasons for the dollar depreciation, saying that the IMF urged Pakistan to trade the dollar at the rate it was being sold near the Afghan border.

“In other words, the IMF had stated that rather than the interbank rate or the open market, our true rate should be the grey market rate,” he added.

A day earlier, Dar had assured that Pakistan would strike a staff-level agreement with the Washington-based lender next week as the negotiations are about to conclude.

The finance minister — who took charge in September last year after Miftah Ismail was removed — also said that the economy is headed in the right direction and blamed miscreants for spreading rumours about Pakistan’s possible default.

“Anti-Pakistan elements are spreading malicious rumors that Pakistan may default. SBP forex reserves have been increasing and are almost US $1 billion higher than four weeks ago despite making all external due payments on time,” FinMin Dar said. 

The finance minister added that the negotiations with IMF are about to conclude and we expect to sign SLA with the Fund by next week. “All economic indicators are slowly moving in the right direction,” he added. 

Business

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

Published

on

By

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.

Continue Reading

Business

SIFC Encourages Green Tourism: Reforming Visas to Increase Investment

Published

on

By

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.

Continue Reading

Business

July 2024 export data from Pakistan shows a significant rise.

Published

on

By

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.

Continue Reading

Trending