• Current account surplus for December alone jumps to $582 million.
• CA surplus narrows by 15% compared with previous month. .
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomes current account surplus.

KARACHI: Pakistan posted its highest current account (CA) surplus in 15 years during the first half of the current fiscal year, driven by a rise in remittances and exports, The News reported on Saturday.

The State Bank of Pakistan’s data released on Friday showed that the CA surplus for the July-December period of fiscal year 2025 stood at $1.2 billion, compared to a deficit of $1.397 billion during the same period last year.

The current account surplus for December alone jumped to $582 million, reflecting a 109% increase year-on-year; however, it narrowed by 15% compared with the previous month.

The current account figures were released following the United Arab Emirates decision to roll over $2 billion in deposits with the SBP for another year. These deposits were maturing this month.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed current account surplus posted for the third consecutive month. The continuous surplus in the current account for October, November, and December 2024 reflected the right direction of economic policies, the prime minister said in a press statement. 

“We are actively working to further increase the surplus in the current fiscal year,” he added.

Also, while chairing a review meeting regarding transit cargo and tracking system on Friday, PM Shehbaz directed the relevant authorities to install international standard cargo scanning system in Karachi and other key trading hubs to tackle the issue of smuggling in the country.