May 20, 2022
Pakistan Rupee Drops Past 200 a Dollar as IMF Bailout Uncertain
Bloomberg News
,(Bloomberg) -- Pakistan’s currency plunged past 200 a dollar for the first time ever as a shortage of dollars threatens to spiral into a fullblown crisis.
The rupee weakened 0.08% and closed at 200.14 a dollar in Karachi Friday, the central bank said on its website. The nation’s foreign-exchange reserves now cover less than two months of imports.
Policy makers are in talks with the International Monetary Fund to revive a stalled loan program. Key conditions would require Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to raise fuel prices, which risks stoking public anger with inflation already at 13%. Meanwhile ousted premier Imran Khan has threatened to lead street protests calling for early elections.
The rupee may drop as low as 210 a dollar if the uncertainty isn’t resolved, according to Samiullah Tariq, head of research at Pakistan Kuwait Investment Co.
The nation’s benchmark KSE-100 index has declined for past five straight weeks.
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