Rupee devaluation to have positive impact on economy, Senate body told

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue, and Economic Affairs was informed on Tuesday that devaluation of Pak rupee would help boosting the country’s foreign exchange reserves with the increase in country’s exports and foreign remittances, and decline in imports, and current account deficit.

“Although positive consequence have started surfacing due to the devaluation of Pak rupee but real positive consequences would be felt after around a year,” a representative of State Bank of Pakistan informed the committee.

The meeting of the committee was held here presided over by its Chairman Senator Farooq H. Naik and was attended by Ayesha Raza Farooq, Musadiq Malik, Mohsin Aziz, Muhammad Akram, Muhamad Ali Khan Saif, Fida Muhammad, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Jahanzaib Khan and other officials of ministry of finance, FBR, and SBP.

The SBP official said the current sharp devaluation of Pak rupee injected a new life into Pakistan’s economy which was witnessed by the fact that during first quarter of fiscal year 2018-19, foreign remittances increased by 13 percent, trade deficit narrowed by 1.6 percent, and current account deficit also shrank by 2.6 percent.

He, however, admitted inflation in the country had also increased due to devaluation, but in order to control inflation, the SBP was also revising the monetary policy.

He said until last year, the current account deficit remained at over $2 billion while now in August this year it declined to as low as $600 million.

Senator Mohsin Aziz questioned, that if during previous 3-4 years, the current account deficit remained so high, then under whom intervention, the value of Pak rupee was controlled artificially.

In reply, the SBP official said at that time the situation was not as grave as it was now. However, the committee did not seem to be satisfied with his reply.