Tue, 21-Oct-2025

SBP keeps policy rate unchanged at 11%

SBP

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced that the key interest rate will remain unchanged at 11 percent for the next two months. Addressing a press conference, SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad said the decision was made after reviewing all key economic indicators. He noted that inflation reached its lowest point in April but … Read more

SBP slashes Policy rate by 200 basis points to 13%

SBP

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced a significant reduction in its policy rate, cutting it by 200 basis points to 13% during its monetary policy meeting on Monday. The new rate will take effect on December 17, 2024. “At its meeting today, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to cut the policy rate … Read more

PM Shehbaz welcomes SBP’s policy rate cut-down

PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday welcomed the reduction in policy rate of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) by further 2 percent and said that its current 13 percent rate bode well for the country’s economy.

He expressed the confidence that the decrease in the policy rate would further enhance investors’ confidence in the national economy and would spur investment.

The prime minister said that lowering of inflation rate also brought down the policy rate, adding that in the future, the inflation rate would further come down.

He also appreciated the federal finance minister and other authorities for making efforts in this regard.

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PM Shehbaz lauds policy rate reduction by SBP

PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD:  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauding the policy rate reduction by the State Bank of Pakistan to 15%, said that the government’s economic stability measures were coming to fruition.

The prime minister, in his opening remarks, while chairing the meeting of the federal cabinet, said a further two percent reduction of the policy rate was a pleasing development for business, agriculture, exports, and commerce sectors.

He said SBP had gradually reduced the policy rate from 22% to 15%, encouraging people to invest their money in the economy to create jobs, enhance production, and exports.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said that the policy rate reduction would decrease the debt burden by Rs1.3 trillion providing huge relief and creating a great fiscal space for the country.

He expressed the hope that the country’s economy would strengthen if the indicators continued to move positively.

The prime minister told the cabinet members that in a follow-up of his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, a Pakistani delegation had left for the Kingdom to discuss cooperation in mining and minerals, solar energy and skilled IT workforce which was required by both Saudia Arabia and Qatar.

He asked the IT ministry to give a presentation to explain their strategy to produce IT workforce of international standard to make them cope with the requirements of both the countries.

Calling for swift action on B2B MoUs with Saudi Arabia, the prime minister said the Azerbaijan government had also given a green signal for the signing of $2 billion MoUs to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

“These are good signals. How we take advantage of these is up to us,” he remarked.

The prime minister hinted at announcing a power relief package for the winter season and emphasised facilitating the businessmen to boost their morale.

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SBP keeps policy rate at 22pc with emphasis on continued fiscal consolidation

SBP keeps policy rate at 22pc with emphasis on continued fiscal consolidation

KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday cautiously decided to keep policy rate at 22 per cent on pretext of elevated inflation expectations that required continuity of the current monetary stance to bring inflation down. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) also emphasized on timely realization of planned external inflows along with continued targeted fiscal … Read more

Industrialists, businessmen rejects exorbitant increase in policy rate

Industrialists
  • President SITE said SBP has dropped the interest bomb.
  • He demanded the government not to succumb to the pressure.
  • NKATI president requested the PM to withdraw the decision.

KARACHI: President SITE Association of Industry Riaz Uddin, while rejecting exorbitant increase in policy rate, saying that the MPC of SBP has dropped the interest bomb by jacking up the policy rate to 20% which will increase the KIBOR market to 22-23% making it impossible for the businesses to borrow money from the banking system.

Besides hitting the local Industry and Trade, the Export business will also be rendered uncompetitive whose refinance scheme is under jeopardy

As a result of such harsh measures, there will be a total collapse in the economy which is already in a negative growth mode as against last year’s growth rate of 6%, added the President SITE Association.

Riaz Uddin further said that in addition to today’s increase in interest rates, the earlier knee-jerk actions taken by the government, on the IMF-diktat such as the additional taxation measures, increase in energy rates, removal of concessionary tariff for the exporting industry and withdrawal of other subsidies have all been anti-business and anti-economic growth measures.

SITE Association of Industry demanded the Government and SBP not to succumb to the pressure of the Foreign Lenders to the detriment of our own country.

On the other hand, President North Karachi Association of Trade & Industry (NKATI) Faisal Moiz Khan, while expressing serious concerns over discontinuation of the Zero Rated Industrial (ZRI) package for the export-oriented sector under the pressure of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has rejected the Federal Cabinets’ decision.

In an appeal, NKATI president requested the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Federal Minister Energy Engr. Khurram Dastgir to withdraw the decision to discontinue the ZRI facility for zero-rated export industries in the best interest of the country’s economy. Otherwise, it will have a devastating impact on export industries, especially small and medium industries (SMEs) including textiles.

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Dollar at new peak of Rs177.98 against rupee

Dollar

KARACHI: The rupee witnessed an unabated free-fall for the last several months, as the dollar hit a new record high of Rs177.98 at the closing on the interbank foreign exchange market on Wednesday, amid the monetary tightening announced a day ago. The exchange rate witnessed a decline of 10 paisas in the rupee value against … Read more

FPCCI advocates maintaining status quo on policy rate

FPCCI

KARACHI: The Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has proposed that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) should not further increase the monetary policy rate, as it can result in stagflation and adverse effects on industrial growth, a statement said on Friday. FPCCI president Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo said that the use … Read more

State Bank to announce monetary policy on 27th

State Bank of Pakistan

KARACHI: The Monetary Policy Committee of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will meet on Tuesday, July 27, 2021, at the SBP Karachi to decide about the monetary policy, a statement said. State Bank of Pakistan Governor Dr Reza Baqir will address a press conference on the same day after the meeting, it added. Meanwhile, … Read more

State Bank of Pakistan reduces markup rate to 7 percent

Pakistan’s Total Liquid Foreign Reserves Stand at US$ 23.02 billion

The State Bank of Pakistan has reduced the markup rate on investment under SBP’s Temporary Economic Refinance Facility (TERF) to 5% (from 7%) and on Long Term Financing Facility. According to the details, SBP reduces markup rate on investment under SBP’s Temporary Economic Refinance Facility (TERF) to 5% (from 7%) and on Long Term Financing … Read more

State Bank of Pakistan brings policy rate to 7 %

State bank

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced that it is further reducing the policy rate of the country by 1%, bringing it to 7%. According to a press release issued by the central bank, SBP’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met today and agreed to reduce the policy rate by 100 basis points to 7%. State … Read more

State Bank of Pakistan cuts interest rate by 1.5%, taking to 11%

State Bank moratorium on consumer loans’ principle

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Tuesday reduced the interest rate  by 1.5%, taking it to 11%, in order to facilitate businesses and  exporters and those who are looking for loans from banks to run business operations. “The global economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus, with the pandemic causing several businesses, including … Read more