Why Did the Pakistani Rupee Strengthen Against the Dollar?
Why Did the Pakistani Rupee Strengthen Against the Dollar?
Two days ago, the
Pakistani rupee strengthened against the US dollar, bringing it to its highest
level in the last seven months. The Pakistani rupee (PKR) has been weak against
the US dollar since May 2015, so this strengthening caught many people by
surprise. The current account deficit has been a key concern for the Pakistani
economy for some time now. In order to finance this deficit, Pakistan has had
to rely heavily on external financing, which has put pressure on the country's
foreign exchange reserves. The situation was made worse by the fact that
Pakistan's exports have been declining in recent years. All of this led to a
situation where the Pakistani rupee was under pressure against the US dollar.
While there are many
short-term factors that can contribute to changes in exchange rates, the
long-term trends are usually more significant. In the case of Pakistan, some of
the underlying reasons for the recent strengthening of the rupee against the
dollar include; Improved economic fundamentals, such as lower inflation and a
narrowing current account deficit; Greater foreign investment due to confidence
in Pakistan's economy; and The central bank's interference
in the cash market. These factors suggest that the recent strengthening
of the rupee is not just a short-term blip, but rather part of a longer-term
trend. The Short-term factors that increased rupee value are; The Pakistan
Central Bank increased interest rates, making the rupee more attractive to
investors. Economic data from Pakistan showed improvement, leading to increased
confidence in the country's economy. Oil prices fell, decreasing the amount of
dollars needed to import oil into Pakistan. Remittances from Pakistanis working
abroad increased as the global economy improved. The International Monetary
Fund approved a loan for Pakistan, increasing confidence in the country's
economy.
There are a number of
factors that can contribute to the Pakistani rupee strengthening against the
dollar. One is an increase in exports. This can happen when there is an
increase in demand for Pakistani products or a decrease in the price of
Pakistani exports. Another factor is a decrease in imports. This can happen
when there is a decrease in the price of imported goods, or an increase in
domestic production of substitutes for imported goods. Another potential factor
is an increase in foreign investment, which can bring new capital into the
country. Finally, central bank intervention can also affect the exchange rate.
If the central bank buys dollars and sells rupees, it will increase demand for
rupees and put upward pressure on the exchange rate. The Pakistani rupee has
strengthened against the dollar since February 2019, when it reached an
all-time low of 138.25 to the dollar. The reasons for this are twofold: first,
Pakistan's current account deficit has shrunk; and second, foreign investors
have been buying more Pakistani government bonds. However, any significant
increase in oil prices would likely put downward pressure on the currency.
The Pakistani rupee has
been under pressure since early 2018. However, in the last few weeks, the rupee
has started to strengthen against the dollar. While there could be a number of
reasons for this sudden shift, it's likely due to a variety of factors. For
one, the Pakistani government has been working to improve its economy by
implementing structural reforms. This has led to increased investor confidence
in the country, which has helped the rupee strengthen against the dollar.
Additionally, Pakistan's central bank has been working to increase foreign
currency reserves, which also helped support the rupee. Finally, global oil
prices have been on the decline recently, which is good news for Pakistan since
it is a net importer of oil. All of these factors likely contributed to the
Pakistani rupee's recent strength against the dollar.
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