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Pakistan's current account deficit nosedives 76pc to $50m in February 2021

N.Siddiqui

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Pakistan's current account deficit nosedives 76pc to $50m in February

Mettis NewsPublished March 22, 2021 - Updated about 10 hours ago.


The current account showed a surplus of $881 million during the first eight months of FY2021. — AFP/File
Pakistan’s current account deficit (CAD) for February declined 75 per cent year-on-year (YoY) and 76pc month-on-month (MoM) to $50 million, compared to a deficit of $197m in Feb 2020 and $210m last month.

This marks the third consecutive month the current account has recorded a deficit, after registering a surplus for five months in a row.

Overall, during the first eight months of FY21, the current account shows a surplus of $881m compared to a deficit of $2.74 billion in the corresponding period last year.

The narrowing of the deficit in February is largely attributable to continued strong growth in workers’ remittances and a sustained recovery in exports since November 2020, which more than offset the increase in imports due to domestic food shortages and recovering economic activity.

In February, the MoM improvement was due to a 45pc decline in primary income deficit, whereas the YoY improvement was attributable to 8pc and 24pc rise in total exports and remittances, respectively.

Total exports (goods and services) during the month jumped 3pc to $2.65bn compared to the $2.58bn logged in the previous month. Similarly, on a yearly basis, total exports witnessed an increase of 8pc in Feb 2021 against $2.46bn in Feb 2020.

In contrast, the combined imports of goods and services during the month under review grew 2pc to $5.184bn as opposed to $5.07bn recorded in January. On a yearly basis, overall imports of goods and services soared 17pc from $4.437bn in February last year.

This resulted in a trade deficit of $2.535bn in Feb 2021, up 1pc MoM and 28pc YoY.

Cumulatively, during 8MFY21, total exports stood at $19.87bn, shrinking 2pc YoY, whereas total imports grew 4pc YoY to $37.296bn, resulting in a trade deficit of $17.42bn, up 13pc YoY.

Workers' remittances by overseas Pakistanis registered a growth of 24pc YoY to $2.26bn during Feb 2021, while on a monthly basis they remained flat.

During the first eight months of FY 21, the continued healthy growth in inflows took the cumulative figure to a record level of $18.74bn, up 24pc YoY
 
This is a remarkable turnaround, from a CAD of 21billion USD in 2018-19, 2.8 years ago to a surplus of 850 million USD in 8 months of 2020-2021 financial year (July 2020-June 2021).

In simple terms a saving of 21billion USD every year...in PTI govt.
 
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Keep up the financial discipline and within 3 years we will have a budget surplus of 10+bn annually. My main concern is the lack of increase in exports. Our fastest growing exports by far are IT exports which are growing at 50% annually. There is still a lot more to grow. We should create initiatives for Chinese/Korean/Japanese manufacterurs to set up shop of high end electronics (laptops, computers, refrigerators, EVs, cell phones, etc...) there is such a huge demand in the domestic market and we can export whatever we have left over!
 
Keep up the financial discipline and within 3 years we will have a budget surplus of 10+bn annually. My main concern is the lack of increase in exports. Our fastest growing exports by far are IT exports which are growing at 50% annually. There is still a lot more to grow. We should create initiatives for Chinese/Korean/Japanese manufacterurs to set up shop of high end electronics (laptops, computers, refrigerators, EVs, cell phones, etc...) there is such a huge demand in the domestic market and we can export whatever we have left over!
Can the awaam be patient enough to allow reforms to continue?

Many of us said this from the beginning - major structural issues will require painful measures in the short to medium term.

One big issue is that negative role of the media, that plays a big role in molding views.
 
Keep up the financial discipline and within 3 years we will have a budget surplus of 10+bn annually. My main concern is the lack of increase in exports. Our fastest growing exports by far are IT exports which are growing at 50% annually. There is still a lot more to grow. We should create initiatives for Chinese/Korean/Japanese manufacterurs to set up shop of high end electronics (laptops, computers, refrigerators, EVs, cell phones, etc...) there is such a huge demand in the domestic market and we can export whatever we have left over!

The exports hopefully will increase exponentially in coming years in IT and other fields...PTI govt lacks the advertising expertise...




And with the construction of EPZ's in large numbers...


In addition to the above EPZ's in CPEC, many more are coming in private sector with new policy measures.
 
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Can the awaam be patient enough to allow reforms to continue?

Many of us said this from the beginning - major structural issues will require painful measures in the short to medium term.

One big issue is that negative role of the media, that plays a big role in molding views.


This will be the big problem

Our country desperately needed this, PPP or Pmln would have destroyed us

But you would never have guessed it if you ask their blind idiot supporters

We can only hope our people are not stupid
 
Pakistan's current account deficit nosedives 76pc to $50m in February

Mettis NewsPublished March 22, 2021 - Updated about 10 hours ago.


The current account showed a surplus of $881 million during the first eight months of FY2021. — AFP/File
Pakistan’s current account deficit (CAD) for February declined 75 per cent year-on-year (YoY) and 76pc month-on-month (MoM) to $50 million, compared to a deficit of $197m in Feb 2020 and $210m last month.

This marks the third consecutive month the current account has recorded a deficit, after registering a surplus for five months in a row.

Overall, during the first eight months of FY21, the current account shows a surplus of $881m compared to a deficit of $2.74 billion in the corresponding period last year.

The narrowing of the deficit in February is largely attributable to continued strong growth in workers’ remittances and a sustained recovery in exports since November 2020, which more than offset the increase in imports due to domestic food shortages and recovering economic activity.

In February, the MoM improvement was due to a 45pc decline in primary income deficit, whereas the YoY improvement was attributable to 8pc and 24pc rise in total exports and remittances, respectively.

Total exports (goods and services) during the month jumped 3pc to $2.65bn compared to the $2.58bn logged in the previous month. Similarly, on a yearly basis, total exports witnessed an increase of 8pc in Feb 2021 against $2.46bn in Feb 2020.

In contrast, the combined imports of goods and services during the month under review grew 2pc to $5.184bn as opposed to $5.07bn recorded in January. On a yearly basis, overall imports of goods and services soared 17pc from $4.437bn in February last year.

This resulted in a trade deficit of $2.535bn in Feb 2021, up 1pc MoM and 28pc YoY.

Cumulatively, during 8MFY21, total exports stood at $19.87bn, shrinking 2pc YoY, whereas total imports grew 4pc YoY to $37.296bn, resulting in a trade deficit of $17.42bn, up 13pc YoY.

Workers' remittances by overseas Pakistanis registered a growth of 24pc YoY to $2.26bn during Feb 2021, while on a monthly basis they remained flat.

During the first eight months of FY 21, the continued healthy growth in inflows took the cumulative figure to a record level of $18.74bn, up 24pc YoY
Goal of deficit should be 4-6b$ on yoy bases

Its a balance
U want surplus but u also want growth

Thus ideal is to settle for deficit of 1-2% of GDP

vs 8% we had in 2018
 
Goal of deficit should be 4-6b$ on yoy bases

Its a balance
U want surplus but u also want growth

Thus ideal is to settle for deficit of 1-2% of GDP

vs 8% we had in 2018


Just for my knowledge... Why can't you have a surplus and growth??
 
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Just for my knowledge... Why can't you have a surplus and growth??
Need to spend more as an investment, such as in infrastructure/industry, which would gradually increase export/import substitution/tax revenues.
What pmln did was showing deficit due to import luxurious items which didn't help in promoting exports, tax revenues, but did show gdp growth
 
Also PTI govt returned the highest ever amount in debt servicing at more than 20 billion USD in the last two years.

And even with it the foreign exchange reserves of SB has risen to 20.3 billion USD...





Hopefully last 4 months of financial year will remain positive



 
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