Rupee strengthens against dollar
Experts say the rupee is expected to stabilise at around Rs175-76 against the dollar ahead of resumption of IMF loan programme. photo: file
The rupee strengthened against the US dollar at Rs175.92 in the inter-bank market on Monday compared with Friday’s close of Rs176.07, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). On December 29, 2021 the rupee hit an all-time low value of Rs178.24 against the greenback as demand for the dollar was higher compared to its supply in the wake of an expanding current account deficit, swelling imports, rising global commodity prices and uncertainty about the resumption of IMF loan programme. Earlier, the announcement of $3 billion cash deposit by Saudi Arabia in the State Bank helped the rupee to appreciate, however, the recovery proved short-lived. The rupee had been on the downtrend since hitting 22-month high of Rs152.27 in May 2021. The SBP has injected $1.2 billion into the inter-bank market to defend the rupee in the ongoing fiscal year.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2022.
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