KARACHI: The Pakistan Rupee (PKR) crashed to new record low at Rs191.50 to the dollar in midday trading of interbank foreign exchange market on Thursday.
The exchange rate witnessed a decline of Rs1.48 and is trading at Rs191.50 to the dollar from previous day’s closing of Rs190.02 in the interbank foreign exchange market.
Currency experts said that balance of payment crisis were impacting the rupee value. They said that high import payment and scheduled repayment of foreign debt had increased dollar demand.
READ MORE: Rupee crashes to record low at Rs190.02 against dollar
The rupee has fallen sharply during first three days of the current week.
Pakistan is net importer of petroleum products to meet its domestic demand. The country’s import bill was $14.81 billion during the first nine months (July – March) 2021/2022 as compared with $7.55 billion in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year, showing a massive growth of 96 per cent. The oil bill is around 25 per cent of the total import bill of country.
READ MORE: Rupee hits all-time low at Rs188.66 to dollar
The depleting foreign exchange reserves are also putting pressure on the local currency.
According to details released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the official reserves of the central bank fell by $328 million to $10.558 billion by the week ended April 23, 2022 as compared with $10.886 billion a week ago. The net foreign exchange reserves of the SBP also include $3 billion from Saudi Arabia, which was deposited with the central bank to support balance of payment.
The foreign exchange reserves of the country fell to $16.668 billion by week ended April 23, 2022 as compared with $17.045 billion by week ended April 16, 2022.
READ MORE: Dollar ends Rs187.53 at interbank market close
Pakistan total import bills recorded an increase of 49 per cent to $58.87 billion during the first nine months of the current fiscal year as compared with $39.49 billion in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year.
This resulted in huge widening in trade deficit of 70 per cent. The trade deficit of the country swelled to $35.39 billion during first nine months of the current fiscal year as compared with the deficit of $20.8 billion in the corresponding months of the last fiscal year.
