Business

Rupee flourishes further against dollar after Ishaq Dar warning

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

Dollar losses 2.5 against rupee in interbank market.
Rupee closes at 229.62 against dollar in interbank market.
Rupee’s recovery seen after Ishaq Dar takes charge of finance ministry.

The Pakistani rupee continued its upward trend in the interbank market as the dollar further weakened against the local unit for the fifth consecutive session on Thursday, after newly appointed finance minister Ishaq Dar’s warning against manipulation of Pakistani currency.

The dollar lost 2.5 against the rupee and closed at Rs229.62 during intraday trade, up in value from yesterday’s close of 232.12.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar warned that no one would be allowed to play tricks with the local currency.

Currency dealers and analysts have cited that the return of Ishaq Dar — a close aide of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif — to Pakistan as the finance minister has helped improve sentiment and the fall in international commodity prices boosted the rupee’s rise.

The current account deficit — fortunately — will likely remain in check on account of declining international commodity prices and administrative measures taken by the government.

Inflation, too, has most likely peaked and is expected to come down over the coming months, The News reported.

Talking to Geo.tv, economist and former adviser to the federal ministry of finance Dr Khaqan Hassan Najeeb said the first aspect is a change in market sentiment driven by a leadership change at the finance ministry.

“The new team is regarded to be more conscious of rupee movement and thus leaning to more orderly movement,” the former adviser said.

Secondly, he noted that some fundamentals have improved, especially a decline in oil prices as well as other key commodity prices, which may help reduce the quantum of imports.

“Thirdly, the confirmation by multilateral lenders to extend flood support is a market supporting development,” Dr Najeeb said.

Lastly, a bit farfetched but the possibility of reconsideration and leniency in some conditions by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to flood impact is driving a positive sentiment toward the rupee, Najeeb added.

Business

Pakistan’s gold prices continue to decline.

Published

9 hours ago

Farwa

The price of ten grams of 24 carat gold dropped by Rs 1,201 to Rs 205,418 from Rs 206,619, while the price of ten grams of 22 carat gold dropped to Rs 188,300 from Rs 189,400, according to the All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association.

Silver, priced at Rs. 2,620 per tola and Rs. 2,254.80 per ten grams, stayed at that level. As reported by the organization, the price of gold dropped by $11 on the global market, to $2,297 from $2,308.

Business

Price of LPG “slashed” by Rs. 20 per kilogram

Published

9 hours ago

Farwa

Sources claim that LPG rates have been lowered by Rs 20, making the cost per kilogram drop from Rs 280 to Rs 260.

It is noteworthy to remark that the costs of LPG were reduced by Rs 20 per kilogram earlier, resulting in a total reduction of Rs 40 per kilogram within a few weeks.

The price of liquefied petroleum gas for the month of May 2024 was lowered by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on April 30.

The LPG tariffs were lowered by Rs 11.88 to Rs 238.46 per kilogram in accordance with the OGRA’s notice. On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, the new rates will go into effect.

In April of last year, the price per kilogram of LPG was Rs 250.34. pricing reduction of Rs 140.18 has resulted in a new pricing for home LPG cylinders set for May 2024 of Rs 2813.85.

The OGRA reported a drop in liquefied petroleum gas pricing in April. The price of LPG is now Rs 250.34 per kg instead of Rs 256.78 due to a reduction of Rs 6.44 per kg.

The price of the household cylinder was fixed at Rs 2954.03 for the month of April, down from Rs 3030.12, a decrease of Rs 76.9.

Business

ADB delegation stops by FBR headquarters

Published

9 hours ago

Farwa

Senior Director ADB Tariq Niazi oversaw the expedition, which also involved Sana Masood, Farzana Noshab, and Senior Public Sector Management Specialist Laisiasa Tora. The meeting included presentations from economists as well, according to an FBR press release.

The officers focused on structural and policy adjustments as they discussed the Domestic Resource Mobilization Program’s implementation at the meeting.

$300 million was given to the Pakistani government by ADB in December 2023 as a result of the hard work and dedication of FBR. Better laws, regulations, and institutional capability for the FBR were established by Sub-Program I.

With the $300 million in funding provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to the Government of Pakistan in December 2023, the delegation conveyed satisfaction with the program’s effective launch.

The FBR also underlined how crucial digitization is to recording the economy and boosting productivity in a sustainable way.

In order to promote the Government of Pakistan’s Digital Tax Administration Project, both parties decided to look into measures to improve their cooperation.