KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) held its key policy rate at 12% on Monday, resisting a cut despite cooling inflation, as it braces for a potential uptick in price pressures in March and May.
The decision comes after a senior-level International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation reviewed Pakistan’s $7 billion bailout package, discussing new revenue targets and taxation measures that may influence inflation and monetary policy.
The central bank’s easing cycle, one of the most aggressive among emerging markets, follows a series of rate cuts totalling 1,000 basis points (bps) over six months, that took the key rate to 12% in January, down from a record high of 22% in June.
Inflation fell to 2.4% in January — the lowest in over nine years—and is expected to drop further to 2.2% in February, supporting the case for further easing.
However, risks remain as core inflation is still elevated, the current account deficit is widening, and market yields have been rising, suggesting the SBP may slow the pace of rate cuts, according to analysts.
With inflation stabilising but external pressures persisting, analysts believe the SBP is nearing the end of its rate-cutting cycle and may shift to a more data-driven approach in the coming months.
Pakistan could unlock a further tranche of funding if the IMF review is approved before the budget is unveiled in June, as it pursues economic reforms mandated by the IMF programme.
Anticipating a moderate rise from March to May, some analysts believe the central bank will stop when rates hit 10.5% to 11%, due to a potential rise in inflation.
Inflation will “bottom out” in the year’s first quarter before gradually rising, said Ahmad Mobeen, senior economist of S&P Global, who anticipates average inflation of 6.1% for 2025.
Despite the “sharp drop” in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), he said urban core inflation, indicative of price pressures, remained high, at 7.8%.
Under a $7 billion IMF bailout, Pakistan’s $350 billion economy grew 0.92% in the first quarter of fiscal 2024-25 which ends in June, according to data approved by the National Accounts Committee and released in December.
