Pakistan Cuts Interest Rates for the First Time in 4 Years
State Bank of Pakistan has cut its benchmark interest rate for the first time in four years.
The Central Bank of Pakistan has cut its target policy rate by 75 basis points to 12.50% from 13.25%.
Bloomberg noted that Pakistan’s consumer price inflation slowed to 12.4% in February from 14.6% in the previous month, with gains in price-growth expected to ease further on account of lower global oil prices.
The committee adopted cautious approach on policy rates that will maintain the inflation rate while it can stir up economic activities to some extent.
The report stated that Tuesday’s decision marks a shift in monetary policy direction for Pakistan’s central bank, which had raised its target policy rate nine times since January 2018 despite a wave of global easing last year.
The easing will help boost credit demand in the economy, whose growth the World Bank sees decelerating to 2.4% in the year to June — the slowest pace in more than a decade.
Central banks across Asia-Pacific have..