”The Total Forex reserves stand at 8.89 billion dollars, out of which commercial banks have 3.38 billion dollars, meaning that the State Bank of Pakistan possesses 5.5 billion dollars,” a local media report today quoted senior Finance Ministry official as saying.
”Out of this 5.5 billion dollars , 1.5 billion dollars have already been consumed because of the forward booking liabilities,” the official added.
Keeping in view the fast depleting foreign reserves, the dollar-rupee parity stands at 1-77, which is alarming. Financial experts are of the view that dollar’s value can cross Rs 80 any time because of the worsening reserves situation and the prevailing political uncertainty.
As far as the government’s request to the World Bank seeking one billion dollar loan is concerned, there is no progress. The bank has, in fact, refused to extend any programme loan. According to official sources, the bank has agreed to extend project loans only.
The World Bank’s top guns have conveyed to the authorities in Pakistan that the bank has linked its future programme loans to the issuance of the Letter of Credit by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The two installments, each of 136 million dollars, from the UAE-based Etisalat Company against the privatisation of the PTCL are now overdue and the government is awaiting the delivery of 272 million dollars. However, there is no progress on this issue.
The government, despite its tall claims, has so far failed to float the Workers Remittances Securitisation Bond worth 750 million dollars to provide cushion to the worsening foreign reserves situation.
On the privatisation front, there seems no tangible progress on sell-off programmes. The government claims that some privatisation proceeds amounting to 1.86 billion dollars are in the pipeline.
The government was earlier claiming that it would have inflows of 250 to 300 million dollars as the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) was going to issue some licenses of that value to various companies in the first quarter of the current fiscal. So far, no progress has been seen on this issue too.
The Abraaj, an Arab group that has become the new administration of the Karachi Electric Supply Company, still has not injected 400 million dollars investment into the company.
”It means the forex reserves would continue to decline in the days to come,” the paper added.
