Connect with us

Business

SBP-held foreign reserves fall 4.17% to $7.5bn

Published

on

  • SBP-held forex reserves drop to $7,498.7 million.
  • Overall forex reserves stand at $13,378.2 million.
  • Reserves expected to register gains next week.

KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)-held foreign exchange reserves declined by 4.17% in line with the dominant trend for the last several weeks.

The foreign currency reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $7,498.7 million as of November 25, down $327 million compared with $7,825.7 on November 18, data released by SBP showed.

Overall liquid foreign currency reserves held by the country, including net reserves held by banks other than the SBP, stood at $13,378.2 million.

Net reserves held by banks amounted to $5,879.2 million. The central bank cited external debt repayment as the reason behind this decline.

With the current foreign exchange reserves position, Pakistan has an import cover of fewer than 1.6 months.

The reserves are expected to register gains next week as the Government of Pakistan received $500 million from Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The Ministry of Finance, in its tweet, had said that funds are deposited with SBP and “will augment Pakistan’s reserves”.

The development did not reflect in SBP’s data as the amount was received after the cut-off date. The assistance will reflect in the reserves next week.

However, Pakistan has to repay a $1.08 billion international bond, which matures on December 5.

This payment might put additional pressure on the already depleting foreign exchange reserves as SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad last week, in the post-monetary policy briefing, revealed that the payment will be made three days before its due date i.e. December 5.

Business

PSX surpasses the historical 71,500-point threshold.

Published

on

By

Investors celebrated as the PSX finally crossed the historic 71,500 point threshold, signalling a critical turning point in the state of the economy in the country.

The KSE-100 index jumped more than 740 points, soaring to a record high of 71,650 points, demonstrating the tenacity and optimism that pervaded the Pakistani financial market.

This outstanding accomplishment indicates strong growth possibilities for the foreseeable future and demonstrates investors’ faith in the nation’s economic prospects.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)’s KSE-100 index saw a minor decline of 60.92 points on Friday, or 0.09 percent, and ended the day at 70,483.66 points.

In the foreign exchange market, the US dollar lost value in relation to the Pakistani rupee at the same time.

Currency dealers claim that on the first day of the workweek, the value of the US dollar dropped by 11 paisas to Rs278.20 in the interbank market, significantly strengthening the rupee.

Continue Reading

Business

Outsourcing: Investors from Turkey stop by the airport in Karachi

Published

on

By

Turkish investors, who are interested in outsourcing Pakistan’s airport industry, sent a high-level team to Karachi Airport.

The domestic arrival and departure lounge at Karachi airport was visited by the Turkish investment group, according to information. The investors were briefed about the workings of the Karachi airport by a delegation of the Civil Aviation Authority, headed by Secretary Aviation Saif Anjum.

An update on the volume of people and business leaving the airport was also provided to Turkish investors. It is anticipated that the delegation would tour the cargo terminal and CAA headquarters today.

The nation’s three main airports, Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, were formerly to be outsourced by the federal government.

Interest in outsourcing three of Pakistan’s airports has been expressed by local parties as well as investors from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Turkiye.

The timeframe for proposal submission for Islamabad International Airport’s outsourcing was extended by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) earlier on March 21.

The government’s top objective in the process of outsourcing international airports, according to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, is openness.

First, he stated that Pakistan is willing to participate in a public-private partnership to outsource a portion of the airport’s commercial activities.

Continue Reading

Business

The inaugural flight of Azerbaijan Airlines is between Baku and Karachi.

Published

on

By

The national airline of Azerbaijan launched direct flights from Baku to Karachi today. There will be two weekly flights on this route, on Thursdays and Sundays.

The first flight will land in Karachi, and Azerbaijan’s ambassador, Khazar Farhadov, will be there to greet it.

This evening also marks the departure of the inaugural flight from Karachi to Baku, in addition to the arrival of the flight from Baku.

Azerbaijan Airlines said last month that it would be growing its network and flight operations in Pakistan.

Aviation insiders have verified that Azerbaijan Airlines is preparing to launch service to Karachi in the coming month of April.

In addition to its current services in Islamabad and Lahore, the airline plans to launch its Karachi route on April 18, with the inaugural flight anticipated to depart on that date.

Azerbaijan Airlines has been given permission to operate flights on the Karachi route, according to sources within the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Following a bilateral agreement between the two nations, Azerbaijan Airlines has been given permission to extend its operations in Pakistan.

Continue Reading

Trending