ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has sought a cut of at least 500 basis points in interest rates due to declining trend in inflation and record low oil prices.
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) under the chairmanship of governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is scheduled to hold a meeting this month and business community is proposing a reasonable reduction in interest.
In a statement, Chairman APTMA, Kamran Arshad stated that a strong measure with respect to substantial cut in policy rate is essential to alleviate the economic pressure on industries, provide a strong signal to investors to invest in new industrial ventures, and reduce the government’s mounting debt servicing obligations to create space for growth-oriented public spending.
“With inflation falling to 6.9% in September 2024 and expected to remain between 6% and 7% for October 2024 according to the Ministry of Finance, Pakistan’s inflation has eased to favourable levels. This has created an unreasonably high real interest rate of-10.5% against the current 17.5% policy rate. Such a high real rate is without precedent in an economy with inflation easing and stabilizing as seen over recent months,” a statement quoted Kamran Arshad as saying.
The APTMA contended that global oil prices have plummeted to record lows, with Brent at around $72/barrel, significantly easing the burden of Pakistan’s import bill. With lower energy import costs, Pakistan has a unique opportunity to use this space to benefit its industrial sector, which has suffered immensely from excessive borrowing costs over the past two years.
The textile sector, an integral pillar of Pakistan’s economy, has borne the brunt of these high rates, which have led to severe liquidity constraints and restricted access to working capital. Industries have been unable to make essential investments to maintain their competitive edge in global markets, threatening not only export revenue but also the livelihoods of millions of Pakistanis. The economic and social costs of inaction are too high to ignore.
“High interest rates have also compounded Pakistan’s debt servicing expenses, consuming almost the entirety of tax revenue and a substantial portion of the federal budget. With inflation firmly in check and oil prices at record lows, there is no justification for keeping real interest rates at current prohibitive levels. The time has come for a bold, decisive reduction in interest rates to reinvigorate the economy and relieve Pakistan’s financial burden,” APTMA maintained.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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