Pakistan current account deficit registers massive surplus
Shares
The current account maintained a surplus for the second straight month with a huge surplus of $805 million from July to August of the current fiscal year 2020-21.
According to data updated by the State Bank of Pakistan, the country reported a surplus of $297 million in August and $508 million (revised figures) in the month of July. Last year, the country recorded a deficit of $1.2 billion in the same period.
The handsome surplus shows stability in external accounts backed by the various measures of the economic managers of the present government. The improvement in the trade bill and the handsome inflows of the remittances contributed to the surplus during the first two months of the current financial year.
The import of goods reduced to $6.73 billion from $7.7 billion and the import of services also decreased to $1.22 billion from $1.81 billion during the period. The reduction of the import bill also supported the balance of payments of the country, helping contain the deficit.
Remittance inflows, on the other hand, reached an all-time high of $4.83 billion in the said period, which ultimately turned the current account into surplus.
Meanwhile, the export of goods stood at $3.42 billion and services stood at $758 million in July and August. The exports declined year-on-year however they slightly picked up on a month-to-month basis as the economic activities are being restored globally and locally.
Commenting on the present positive trend of the current account, SBP said,
Efforts to attract workers’ remittances, flexible exchange rate and relatively benign import prices explain the improving current account balance.
The remittance numbers are still growing while imports are growing slower. It gives confidence to Rupee investors and dispels depreciating expectations, said A.A.H Soomro, Managing Director at Khadim Ali Shah Bukhari Securities. The currency ought to remain stable at Rs. 165 per US dollar, with spacing for appreciation. The slowdown in remittances is imminent as exports ought to compensate for the loss, he added
This is the fourth surplus of the current account reported by the present government. Previously, it reported a surplus of $508 million in July 2020, $13 million in May 2020, and a surplus of $99 million in October 2019 after a four-year gap.
It is expected that imports and exports of goods and services may witness a gradual growth in months to come, though the government should focus to contain the import bill and enhance exports along with remittances to maintain the positive trend of current account surplus, which is indeed a herculean task.
