KARACHI: Inflows of home remittances posted over six percent growth during the first 11 months of this fiscal year (FY22).
According to statistics released by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday, workers’ remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis rose by 6.3 percent or $1.634 billion during July-May of FY22. Cumulatively, the country received home remittances inflows amounted to $28.41 billion during the first 11 months of this fiscal year compared to $26.736 billion during the same period of last fiscal year (FY21).
However, Month on Month (MoM) basis, in terms of growth, remittances decreased by 25.4 percent to $2.333 billion during May 2022 as against April remittances worth $3.125 billion-the highest-ever monthly inflows. On positive note, workers’ remittances have continued to remain above the $2 billion mark in May 2022.
Pakistan is receiving over $2 billion monthly inflows since June 2020 and for the first time monthly inflows crossed the mark of $3 billion in April 2022 alone. According to SBP, the decline in monthly inflows is mainly due to usual seasonal post-Eid decline and associated long holiday. Year on Year basis, workers’ remittances also fell seven percent in May 2022 compared to May 2021, in which some $2.507 billion remittances were arrived.
World Bank projects slowdown in remittances
Remittances in May 2022 were mainly sourced from Saudi Arabia amounted to $542 million, United Arab Emirates $435 million, United Kingdom $354 million and the United States of America $233 million.
The government and the State Bank is making efforts to enhance the inflows of home remittances through legal channel to build the depleting foreign exchange reserves and reduce the pressure on external account.
The country is facing highest ever $45 billion trade deficit due to record over $75 billion import bill during this fiscal year and need more foreign inflows to finance the trade and current account deficit. Cumulatively, although remittances from Saudi Arabia were almost flat during the first 11 months of current fiscal year, however, with 25 percent share it is still the largest contributor in overall remittances. Expats from Saudi Arabia sent $7.059 billion in July-May FY22.
Workers’ remittances from the US increased by 18.5 percent to $2.79 billion during the first 11 months of this fiscal year as against $2.353 billion in corresponding period of last fiscal year. Overseas Pakistanis from the UK remitted $4.026 billion, up by 8.5 percent, during July-May of FY22.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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