Rupee strengthens against dollar

The rupee strengthened against the US dollar at Rs181.58 in the inter-bank market on Friday compared with Thursday’s close of Rs181.69, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). On April 7, 2022, the rupee closed at an all-time low at Rs188.18 owing to speculation stemming from political turbulence in the country. Moreover, demand for the dollar stood higher compared to its supply in the wake of an expanding current account deficit, swelling imports and rising global commodity prices. 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 at 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, April 16^th, 2022.

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