08/04/2023
The Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) in Pakistan has increased the profit rates on all national savings schemes by significant margins, with effect from April 10.
The new rates, the highest in more than a decade, have been increased following the State Bank of Pakistan's key interest rate hike to 21% and the surge in Treasury bills yields to around 22%.
The profit rates on various savings schemes have been increased as follows:
- Defence Saving Certificates: increased by 261 basis points to 14.87%
-Behbood Savings Certificates, Pensioners’ Benefit Accounts, and Shuhada Family Welfare Accounts: increased by 264 bps to 16.56%
-Regular Income Certificates: increased by 24 bps to 12.84% of total investment
-Special Saving Certificates and Special Savings Account: increased by over 400 bps to 17% for the first five profits and 17.8% for the sixth profit, with an average return of 17.13% compared to 13.1% previously
-Saving Accounts: increased by 400 bps to 18.5%
-Short-Term Savings Certificate: increased to 19.92%, 19.64%, and 19.82% for three-, six-, and 12-month tenors, respectively, after an increase of about 380, 364, and 386 bps.
The government is increasing the rates on savings schemes to offer better returns to small savers without affecting the government budget. The profit rates are linked to cut-off yields of long-term Pakistan Investment Bonds and are announced every two months