KARACHI: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remained top contributors to Pakistan’s highest ever remittance inflow in April, according to the country’s central bank that released the latest data on Tuesday.
“Workers’ remittances rose to an all-time monthly high of $2.8 billion in April 2021, which is 56 percent higher than the same month during the last year,” the State Bank of Pakistan said.
On a cumulative basis, remittances also surpassed previous records during the ten months of the current fiscal year (10MFY21).
The $24.2 billion the country received in July-April FY21, is 29 percent greater than the inflows in the corresponding period last year and the amount has already exceeded the full FY20 level by more than $1 billion.
The central bank took the credit for the highest remittance inflow, saying its proactive policy measures encouraged more remittances through formal channels.
Other contributing factors accounting for the record remittance levels this year include reduced cross-border travel due to COVID-19, orderly foreign exchange market conditions and, more recently, Eid-related money transfers by overseas Pakistanis to their homeland.
Pakistan received $6.4 billion from Saudi Arabia followed by $5.1 billion from the UAE and $2.77 billion from other gulf countries during July-April FY21, taking the overall contribution of the gulf states to 58 percent of the total inflow of $24.2 billion this year.
The United Kingdom and United States were other major contributors with $3.3 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively.
During the month of April, Pakistani workers remitted $664.5 million from Saudi Arabia while those in the UAE dispatched $549.3 million. The trend shows that inflows from the two countries will surpass previous records by the end of the current fiscal year.
During the last fiscal year (FY20), Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia contributed $6.61 billion while inflows from UAE stood at $5.61 billion.
“Due to travel restriction, people are now transferring more money through digital means,” Samiullah Tariq, head of research at the Pakistan Kuwait Investment, told Arab News on Tuesday. “Previously, they physically carried cash while traveling to the country.”
“Cumulative inflows during the full fiscal year are expected to remain in the range of $28 billion to $29 billion,” he continued, adding: “The inflows in the coming months are expected to tone down.”
Analysts say major inflows from the gulf countries are supporting Pakistan’s balance of payment situation and strengthening the country’s national currency which closed at Rs152.60 against the US dollar in the interbank market on Monday.
Saudi Arabia, UAE remain top contributors to Pakistan remittance inflows
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Saudi Arabia, UAE remain top contributors to Pakistan remittance inflows
- Official statistics compiled by the State Bank of Pakistan point to an all-time monthly high of $2.8 billion last month
- Pakistan’s overall remittance inflow increased by 29 percent to $24.2 billion during the first ten months of the current fiscal year
Pakistan, global crypto exchange discuss modernizing digital payments, creating job prospects
- Pakistani officials, Binance team discuss coordination between Islamabad, local banks and global exchanges
- Pakistan has attempted to tap into growing crypto market to curb illicit transactions, improve oversight
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s finance officials and the team of a global cryptocurrency exchange on Friday held discussions aimed at modernizing the country’s digital payments system and building local talent pipelines to meet rising demand for blockchain and Web3 skills, the finance ministry said.
The development took place during a high-level meeting between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Chairman Bilal bin Saqib, domestic bank presidents and a Binance team led by Global CEO Richard Teng. The meeting was held to advance work on Pakistan’s National Digital Asset Framework, a regulatory setup to govern Pakistan’s digital assets.
Pakistan has been moving to regulate its fast-growing crypto and digital assets market by bringing virtual asset service providers (VASPs) under a formal licensing regime. Officials say the push is aimed at curbing illicit transactions, improving oversight, and encouraging innovation in blockchain-based financial services.
“Participants reviewed opportunities to modernize Pakistan’s digital payments landscape, noting that blockchain-based systems could significantly reduce costs from the country’s $38 billion annual remittance flows,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
“Discussions also emphasized building local talent pipelines to meet rising global demand for blockchain and Web3 skills, creating high-value employment prospects for Pakistani youth.”
Blockchain is a type of digital database that is shared, transparent and tamper-resistant. Instead of being stored on one computer, the data is kept on a distributed network of computers, making it very hard to alter or hack.
Web3 refers to the next generation of the Internet built using blockchain, focusing on giving users more control over their data, identity and digital assets rather than big tech companies controlling it.
Participants of the meeting also discussed sovereign debt tokenization, which is the process of converting a country’s debt such as government bonds, into digital tokens on a blockchain, the ministry said.
Aurangzeb called for close coordination between the government, domestic banks and global exchanges to modernize Pakistan’s payment landscape.
Participants of the meeting also discussed considering a “time-bound amnesty” to encourage users to move assets onto regulated platforms, stressing the need for stronger verifications and a risk-mitigation system.
Pakistan has attempted in recent months to tap into the country’s growing crypto market, crack down on money laundering and terror financing, and promote responsible innovation — a move analysts say could bring an estimated $25 billion in virtual assets into the tax net.
In September, Islamabad invited international crypto exchanges and other VASPs to apply for licenses to operate in the country, a step aimed at formalizing and regulating its fast-growing digital market.
