Appreciation on "sentiments" means there is no real substance to the rally.
Another milestone: Dar credits PDF for dollar depreciation
ISLAMABAD:
In a rare acknowledgement, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said that a friendly Muslim nation gave $1.5 billion for Pakistan Development Fund (PDF) but refrained from disclosing the lender’s name.
“A friendly Muslim country has confidence in Pakistan and its leadership and deposited $1.5 billion in the PDF,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference, an unusually upbeat Dar claimed PDF contributions, actions against exporters who were withholding export receipts abroad and warnings to exchange market speculators – helped recoup the depleted foreign currency reserves to $9.52 billion.
Dar said better foreign currency reserves position strengthened the value of rupee against the US dollar bringing it to a record low of Rs97.90 on Wednesday. “The dollar’s current rate is realistic”, he added.
Highlighting details, Dar said the benefits of a stronger rupee are such that the country’s dollar-denominated external debt has reduced by Rs800 billion ($8.2 billion). This will also translate into reducing prices of electricity and petroleum products that will lower inflation, he added.
Wading through question on PDF, the finance minister said that the fund will be channeled through the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to finance mega energy and infrastructure projects initiated by the prime minister.
“The difficult period of getting external inflows is over and the government has added net $2 billion in reserves in last one month”, he announced.
A buoyant Dar also said he was confident that the reserves will cross $10 billion by the end of this month and $16 billion by end of current fiscal year.
With a ring of cautious optimism, the finance minister vowed that in three years the reserves level will be taken up to $20 billion, adding that the present rupee-dollar parity was sustainable as long as the reserves position remained stronger.
Quashing reports, the finance minister maintained that the government did not dump dollars in the market to artificially strengthen the rupee.
People should have confidence on what the government says and it has proven what it said so far, said the finance minister trumpeting his administration’s record.
Taking a swipe at those who criticized the government for its failure to control prices of essential items, Dar said the price of onions, tomatoes and dollars has been brought down to the level when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took oath.
During the press conference, Dar also said he would not pursue anyone to resign after the rupee-dollar parity has been brought back to Rs98 a dollar. But it’s the media that was holding him (Sheikh Rashid) accountable for his claim, he added.
In response to Dar’s claim to bring dollar rate below Rs100, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid, had challenged the finance minister and said he would resign, if Dar succeeded in lowering the value of US dollar.
On negotiations with Taliban, the finance minister said that in case talks collapsed, government will provide all financial resources necessary to launch military operation.
Responding to a question, Dar said the United States was bearing the direct cost of war against terrorism through Coalition Support Fund (CSF). But the indirect cost in shape of loss of employment, foreign investment was very difficult to calculate.
“One cannot put a price tag to the cost of war on terrorism but according to one estimate Pakistan has so far sustained $80 billion losses, both direct and indirect”.
He said $1.6 billion CSF dues were outstanding and Washington was expected to release another tranche of $400 million by early April this year.