CDNS raises profit rates on key savings schemes after policy rate held at 12%

The Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) has revised profit rates across several of its savings schemes, following the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) decision to keep the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 12 per cent.

According to the updated rates, the Short-Term Saving Certificate (STSC) now offers a return of 10.96 per cent, up by 15 basis points from the previous 10.81 per cent. The Defence Saving Certificates (DSC) rate has been marginally increased to 12.15 per cent from 12.14 per cent.

Returns on the Pensioner Benefit Account, Behbood Savings Certificate, and Shuhada Family Welfare Account have each risen by 10 basis points to 13.68 per cent. 

The Sarwa Islamic Term Account (SITA) and Sarwa Islamic Saving Account (SISA) saw a larger upward revision of 70 basis points, with both now offering 10.44 per cent, up from 9.74 per cent. 

Meanwhile, the general Saving Account rate has been reduced by 100 basis points to 10.5 per cent from 11.5 per cent.

The CDNS, which manages over Rs3.4 trillion in assets and serves more than four million customers through a network of 376 branches, plays a central role in mobilising public savings to help finance the government’s budgetary needs and infrastructure development.

The adjustment in profit rates follows the Monetary Policy Committee’s recent decision to maintain the current interest rate, reflecting efforts to support economic stability and manage inflation. 

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell to 1.5 per cent year-on-year in February 2025 — the lowest level recorded in over nine years — compared to 2.4 per cent in January.