Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry demands 200 basis point cut in monetary policy

Karachi, January 06, 2015 (PPI-OT): Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has demanded of the State Bank of Pakistan to bring down interest rate by at least 150 to 200 basis points in forthcoming Monetary Policy to give a jumpstart to the economic activities and revive the industrial sector.

In a statement issued here on , President LCCI, Yakoob H Karim said that interest rate is an important input for the industrial sector and always influences the cost of production. He said that how we can even imagine to compete the countries like Japan, Sweden and Switzerland in the international market where industry is being financed at 0% interest rates. He also cited the examples of Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States where interest rates are very low.

Yakoob said that the benchmark interest rate in Pakistan was last recorded at 10 percent. He said that interest rate in Pakistan averaged 12.55 percent from 1992 until 2014, reaching an all time high of 20 percent in October of 1996 and a record low of 7.50 percent in November of 2002.

He said that the State Bank of Pakistan has to brought down the interest rates keeping in view the ground realities and strict competition in the international market. He said that a cut of 50 to 100 basis points would not be doing any service to the challenging economy.

He said that it was very unfortunate that we have failed to learn any lesson from the tighter monetary policy stance adopted by the State Bank of Pakistan in the yester years. LCCI Chief said that ongoing economic scenario shows that there is hardly any time left for economic managers of the country and they all should understand well that a 50 to 100 basis point cut will be too little.

He said that it is now before all of us that high markup rate is no more sustainable. It has been causing a great harm to economy and would continue to do so unless and until a realist approach is adopted. Yakoob urged the State Bank of Pakistan to announce at least 150 to 200 basis points cut in Monetary Policy being announced on January 15, 2015 that would certainly give jumpstart to the economic activities in the country.

For more information, contact:
Muhammad Farhan
Public Relations Officer
Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI)
Ground Floor,
Lieda Office Building,
Hub Distt., Lasbela
Tel: +92-85-3303410, +92-85-3304461
Fax: +92-85-3302431
Cell: +92-85-300-2023448
Email: farhanprolcci@yahoo.com, info@lasbelachamber.com
Website: www.lasbelachamber.com