Repatriation of profit, dividend hits $1.21 billion mark

Foreign investors repatriated some $1.21 billion on account of profit and dividend during the last fiscal year (FY14). The repatriated amount is some 13 percent or $136 million higher than the previous year (FY13), in which some $1.078 billion were transferred by foreign investors. Talking about the rising trend of repatriation, economists said that the country''s economy has performed well and grew by some 4.1 percent.
The improved economic activities have increased the profitability of local and multinational companies, resulting in a higher repatriation by investors. The PML-N government has focused on revival of economic development and taking several steps for improvement of the country''s ailing economy, they said and added that supported by these steps productivity of major industries has improved during the last fiscal year.
"Since the beginning of FY14, repatriation of profit and dividend was on increase supported by improved economic activity and evaluating the current momentum of repatriation, we are expecting that repatriation of profit and dividend will cross $1.5 billion in this fiscal year," economists said. Detailed analysis revealed that the repatriation of profit and dividend from Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) registered a decline of 9 percent, while some 18 percent increase was registered on account of FDI. In addition, the major outflows of profit and dividend have also been witnessed from FDI and cumulatively over 83 percent of the repatriated amount has been sent as returns on FDI.
Foreign investors transferred over $1 billion abroad on account of returns on FDI during the last fiscal year. Some $1.013 billion were repatriated as return on FDI during FY14 compared to $587 million in the corresponding period of FY13. During the period under review, net FDI inflows stood $1.63 billion. In addition, repatriation on FPI posted a decline of $20 million as it stood at $202 million in FY14 against $222 million in FY13. The major repatriation has been made from the financial sector, wherefrom foreign investors repatriated $339 million. Power is second largest sector wherefrom foreign investors transferred $143 million on account of profit and dividend. Oil and gas exploration ranked third as some $99.4 million were repatriated by foreign investors as profit and dividend. Meanwhile, month-on-month basis, foreign investors repatriated an amount of $57.6 million comprising $45.6 million on FDI and $12 million FPI in June 2014.