Why the Roshan Digital Account balance may not be equal to $6bn

A closer examination of SBP's $6 Billion RDA deposit inflows 

Karachi: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) recently took to Twitter to announce a momentous milestone – the total deposit inflows in the Roshan Digital Accounts (RDA), a special banking facility catering to non-resident Pakistanis, crossing a staggering $6 billion. However, upon closer examination, it becomes apparent that this figure may not be an accurate reflection of the actual situation as the data only shows inflows but not outflows. 

The graph shared by the SBP is a cumulative bar chart that simply adds up the inflows to the existing sum of inflows. For instance, the data indicates that the total deposits under the RDA were $5.9 billion, with an additional $155 million registered in March alone.

Why is this figure misleading?

The SBP’s celebratory tweet only sheds light on the money that has come in, without providing any information on what has gone out. It merely represents the total inflows received to date, without considering the balance. 

Profit had reached out to an official from SBP who was aware of the intricacies of RDAs back when SBP had made a similar announcement of RDA inflow deposits exceeding $4.5 billion.

As per the explanation provided by the official, which is also applicable in this instance, the $6 billion touted by the SBP is simply the sum of inflows that RDA accounts have received since their inception, and does not take into account the withdrawals that have been made during this period. In essence, the SBP’s focus seems to be solely on the inflows, without considering the outflows or net flow, which can be misleading.

Since, the SBP does not disclose the balance in the RDA accounts nor the data on withdrawals from RDAs, except for those made to buy NPCs or invest in PSX (Pakistan Stock Exchange), there is no way to ascertain how much has been repatriated and withdrawn by the accoint holders. Considering that SBP continues to withhold this information despite the fact that the issue of lack of transparency and incomplete information has been raised many times in the past,  further raises questions about the reliability of the $6 billion inflow figure posted by the SBP.

In conclusion, while the SBP’s tweet may have touted a significant milestone in terms of RDA inflows, it is important to approach this figure with caution and consider the nuances of withdrawals, net flow, and the source of inflows. Without a comprehensive breakdown of the data, it is difficult to fully grasp the reality of the situation, and the SBP’s celebratory tweet may not provide the complete picture.

Mariam Umar Farooqhttp://profit.com.pk
The author is a business journalist and a member of the staff. She can be reached at [email protected]

4 COMMENTS

  1. As Pakistani we should stand with Pakistan.
    We should always portrait the brightest side in any national situation and stay optimistic.

    Everything will be fine Soon In Sha Allah.

  2. This government lies by reflex!
    Why not give a true picture of how the RDA account deposits stand, instead of spinning it to mislead the public with half-truths?

  3. I know and can recommend a very efficient and trustworthy hacker. I got his email address on Quora , he is a very nice and he has helped me a couple of times even helped me recover stolen funds in my Coinbase account at a very affordable price. he offers a top notch service and I am really glad I contacted him. He’s the right person you need to talk to if you want to retrieve your stolen crypto currencies & bitcoin accounts, deleted/old texts, call logs ,emails ,photos and also hack any of your spouse’s social network account Facebook,
    twitter, Instagram, messenger chats, snapchat, reddit, telegram, tinder and WhatsApp, He offers a legit and wide range of hacking services. His charges are affordable and reliable, This is my way of showing appreciation for a job well done. contact him for help via address below..
    Email : Leonardomitnickhacking@gmail. com

Comments are closed.

Must Read