KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan ne Thursday ko policy rate ko 200 basis points kam karte hue 17.5% kar diya hai. Ye faisla inflation ke tez decline aur economic activity ke moderate izafe ke madde nazar liya gaya hai.
SBP ne aik bayan mein kaha ke Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) ne economic aur financial situation ka jaiza le kar policy rate ko 17.5% tak kam karne ka faisla kiya hai, jo 13 September 2024 se effective hoga.
MPC ne dekha ke pichle do mahine mein headline aur core inflation mein shiddat se kami aayi hai, jo committee ki ummeed se zyada hai. Ye kami mukhtalif factors ki wajah se hui, jaise ke energy prices mein izafe mein dair aur global oil aur food prices mein behtari.
MPC ne yeh bhi kaha ke inflation pressure ko slow karne ke liye tight monetary policy ki zarurat hai aur is policy se inflation ko 5 se 7% ke beech lane ka maqasad haasil kiya ja sakta hai.
MPC ne ye bhi note kiya ke agriculture sector ki growth kam hui hai aur cotton production mein kami ka imkaan hai. Lekin inflation pressures mein rahat aur recent policy rate cuts se industry aur services sector ko madad milti rahegi.
External sector mein, workers’ remittances aur export earnings mein behtari ne import mein izafe ko counter kiya aur current account deficit ko $0.2 billion tak control kiya.
MPC ne fiscal consolidation ke natije mein inflation ko kam karne aur macroeconomic stability barqarar rakhne ki baat ki. Is ke ilawa, broad money growth mein kami dekhi gayi aur deposits M2 growth ka main source rahe.
Headline inflation August 2024 mein 9.6% tak kam hui, jab ke core inflation 11.9% tak gir gayi. MPC ne inflation ke near-term outlook ke kuch risks ko bhi acknowledge kiya aur FY25 mein inflation ke average ko pehle ke forecast range se kam hone ka imkaan zahir kiya.
