Dollar shortage deepens despite C/A surplus, record remittances

Despite record-high remittance inflows and a current account surplus, the currency market is facing a dollar shortage, with banks charging higher than the officially quoted rates, according to market sources. Currency experts expressed surprise over the tight dollar liquidity, especially after the close of the fiscal year 2024-25 and the completion of all due payments by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Currency dealers said importers are struggling to purchase dollars for their consignments, with even opening a letter of credit (L/C) for as little as $15,000 proving difficult. “I have been trying hard to pay my daughter’s university fee for more than a month, but no bank is willing to provide the required dollars,” said Abid Ali, whose daughter’s tuition fee for a university in the United States is around $19,000.