Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the distribution of 100,000 free laptops among talented students across the country on merit, during an International Youth Day event in Islamabad on Tuesday. Premier stated that the distribution of these laptops will cover all four provinces, the federal capital Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir, and will be based purely on merit, without any nepotism. He added that these laptops would be separate from the scheme for laptops through interest-based loans. Referring to Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, the prime minister mentioned that Pakistan’s victory on May 10 against a numerically larger and more boastful enemy had instilled a new vigour in the entire nation. He urged the youth to build on the spirit of this achievement and work hard to bring honour to the country. Earlier, during the ceremony, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program, Rana Mashhood, said the government’s merit-based programs for youth had enabled talented and des...
Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves have plummeted to a critically low level of $3.14 billion, the lowest since February 2014. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the reserves have declined by $294 million during the week ending on January 27. This sharp decline has put the country under the scanner about its ability to meet international payment obligations.
The country's sharp decline in foreign exchange reserves has been brought on by the growing current account deficit, which is a result of the country's continuously flowing economic crisis. Pakistan's trade deficit skyrocketed by 31.5% to $17.6 billion in the first half of the current fiscal year. Pakistan's imports have increased phenomenally, but the volume of exports has not grown proportionately enough, thereby causing a severe increase in the trade deficit.
The dwindling foreign exchange reserves have put immense pressure on the Pakistani rupee, which has been depreciating rapidly against the US dollar. It has lost over 20% of its value in the last year, increasing the cost of imports and causing the trade deficit to rise further. The falling foreign exchange reserves have also sent alarm bells ringing regarding the servicing of the country's external debt.
The economic crisis has been proving to be quite challenging for the government. The IMF program remains stalled since the country could not meet the economic reforms as required. The IMF has been insisting on Pakistan implementing structural reforms such as increased taxes, subsidy reduction, and business environment improvement. However, the government is not willing to do so since it fears the reaction of the public.
The decline in foreign exchange reserves has also raised a concern about the country's ability to meet its energy import requirements. Pakistan heavily depends on imported fuel to meet its energy needs, and the dwindling foreign exchange reserves have raised concerns about the country's ability to pay for these imports. This may lead to a shortage of fuel, which would further exacerbate the country's energy crisis.
As the foreign exchange reserves of Pakistan drop to a critically low level of $3.14 billion, it raises question over the country's ability to fulfill international payments. The government needs structural reforms in this regard and enhances exports to get rid of this economy crisis. In case this does not take place, decline in foreign exchange reserves will rather further deteriorate the economic situation of the country.
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