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Is the rupee undervalued?

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@BetterPakistan
Thank you guys for very informative thread. My question is how the central bank of Pakistan supposed to prop up Rupee against USD if they want so?
 
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Beta, the value of currencies are set on demand and supply comparisons. Secondly I have completed a research on it and if you don't have something credible to add in this discussion than keep quiet and let others with economic knowledge comment on it.
Really? Is that's why we have the Foreign Exchange regimes across the world? And perhaps thats why almost all of the middle east and Singapore have pegged their currencies to mimic the movements in USD? And perhaps that's why the Hong Kong maintains a hard peg to USD? And perhaps thats why Chinese, Indians, Brazilians, Koreans defend their currencies? Nanha Munna newbie giving me lessons on economics :lol:
 
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I suppose now is the time to have an undervalued currency, as key commodities such as crude oil prices are half of what they were a year or two ago. Meanwhile we are struggling to export, so exports rather than imports need a boost at the moment.
 
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Correct me if I am wrong. Downward pressure on PKR means there are not enough $ in the market against PKR. So more are being offered for one $, hence
downward pressure on PKR. Now central bank have to intervene by issuing USD bonds to banks by giving $ in exchange for PKR in order to increase to supply of $ in the market, hence reducing pressure on PKR. But it will reduce Forex Reserve with immediate effect and more intervention may be required as long as a Deficit in the Current Account exists or Pakistan fails to get FDI and loans in $ which outnumber the deficit. Extensive withdrawal of PKR will raise yield, subsequently interest rate, cost of fund for local business. Also more FDI and loan now means more $ outflow in future. Also any possible benefit from PKR appreciation will be a medium to long term matter.
Also USD may appreciate in 17-18 against others due to some Trump Era policy and upcoming intrrest rate hike in US according to Standard Chartered Bank.
What do you think? @BetterPakistan
 
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Correct me if I am wrong. Downward pressure on PKR means there are not enough $ in the market against PKR. So more are being offered for one $, hence
downward pressure on PKR. Now central bank have to intervene by issuing USD bonds to banks by giving $ in exchange for PKR in order to increase to supply of $ in the market, hence reducing pressure on PKR. But it will reduce Forex Reserve with immediate effect and more intervention may be required as long as a Deficit in the Current Account exists or Pakistan fails to get FDI and loans in $ which outnumber the deficit. Extensive withdrawal of PKR will raise yield, subsequently interest rate, cost of fund for local business. Also more FDI and loan now means more $ outflow in future. Also any possible benefit from PKR appreciation will be a medium to long term matter.
Also USD may appreciate in 17-18 against others due to some Trump Era policy and upcoming intrrest rate hike in US according to Standard Chartered Bank.
What do you think? @BetterPakistan

I completely disagree with USD appreciating due to new policies etc.

Secondly all the risks you mentioned can be managed.

Look, first of all where is the deficit in the account?? Last year our exports was recorded $18 bn and imports was recorded $32 bn means $12 bn deficit. Do anybody here know that we also received $20 bn in remittances last year? We also received $1 bn+ FDI last year which will touch $2 bn this year. Where's the deficit in the account?
 
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Most common way to prop up or control the value of a currency by the country’s central bank is to go out and buy a currency in size or sell in large quantities, either using their own accounts or through agency banks. However, the amount of firepower a central bank has is directly tied to the size of its liquid foreign currency reserves. However I am not sure that State Bank of Pakistan will waste its precious FE reserves to buy back Pakistan Rupee.

Another way is to increase the interest rates. Currency Traders sell a low yielding currency and buy a high yielding currency in order to profit on the difference. Thus in order to make its currency more attractive to investors and harder to sell by speculators, a central bank can try to ensure that its currency is high-yielding through official rates or manipulating the liquidity in forwards markets.

In my humble opinion main reason for the continued decline of Pak Rupee against the US Dollar is continued current account deficit and exports failing to keep up with imports. As evident from the following.

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Pakistan’s current account deficit widens by 90pc

February 19, 2017 Finance No comments

KARACHI: Pakistan’s current account deficit has widened sharply by 90 per cent to $4.71 billion during first seven months of current fiscal year, according to summary of Balance of Payment (BoP) issued by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).


http://www.pkrevenue.com/tag/current-account-deficit/

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KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan released the economic data for the first seven months of the current fiscal year.

Pakistan’s current account deficit widened by 90% in the first seven months (Jul-Jan) of 2016-17, standing at $4.72 billion compared with $2.48 billion in the same period of the previous year, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday.

https://timesofislamabad.com/71042-2/2017/02/18/

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ISLAMABAD: The volume of Pakistan’s trade deficit has rose to around 20 per cent as exports slumped by around four per cent during first five months (July-November) of the on-going financial year (FY2016-17).

The country exported goods worth $8.2 billion during July-November period of the fiscal year as against $8.5 billion of the corresponding period of the previous year, according to the fresh data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Exports are continuously declining since this government took charge in June 2013, falling from $24.5 billion in fiscal 2012-13 to $20.8 billion during previous financial year 2015-16.

The country’s imports have recorded an increase of 8.83 per cent during July-November period of the FY2017. Pakistan imported goods worth $19.96 billion during the five months of the current financial year as compared to $18.35 billion of the same period of the last year.

The trade deficit has widened by 19.9 per cent during July-November period of the financial year. Country’s trade imbalance was recorded at $11.78 billion in the period under review as against $9.8 billion of the corresponding period of the last year.

According to the PBS figures, exports increased by 6.2 per cent to $1.76 billion in November 2016 from $1.66 billion in the same month of the last year. Meanwhile, the imports went up by 10.81 per cent to $4.26 billion in November 2016 from $3.8 billion in November 2015. Therefore, trade deficit was registered at $2.49 billion during November 2016 as against $2.18 billion in the corresponding month of the last year, showing an increase of 14.31 per cent.

http://arynews.tv/en/pakistan-trade-deficit-widens-in-first-five-months-of-fy-2016-17/

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Just a side note, if we want our currency to gain strength and become debt free, all that we have to do is ask for transit fees for CPEC in PKR. That will automatically create a buying spree for the PKR thus increasing its value against the dollar. After that, it's just print and pay off!
 
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Just a side note, if we want our currency to gain strength and become debt free, all that we have to do is ask for transit fees for CPEC in PKR. That will automatically create a buying spree for the PKR thus increasing its value against the dollar. After that, it's just print and pay off!

I thought Chine will be able to use CPEC for free, as it helped to build the road?

Just a side note, a weaker currency is good for China, as it can buy material and infrastructure in Pakistan for cheaper.

Perhaps China is playing a part in this, by widening Pakistan account deficit?
 
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I thought Chine will be able to use CPEC for free, as it helped to build the road?

Just a side note, a weaker currency is good for China, as it can buy material and infrastructure in Pakistan for cheaper.

Perhaps China is playing a part in this, by widening Pakistan account deficit?
Transit fees are levied not against countries but companies.
 
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Transit fees are levied not against countries but companies.

so a chinese company using cpec to send tools etc, will have to pay transit fee

while the govt using it to transport oil will not?
 
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so a chinese company using cpec to send tools etc, will have to pay transit fee

while the govt using it to transport oil will not?

Dont know the details but Pakistan is charging transit fees one way or another.
 
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