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ISTANBUL
The State Bank of Pakistan has lowered its policy interest rate by 250 basis points to 15% on Monday.
The bank’s monetary policy committee stated that inflation has dropped faster than forecast and has reached close to its medium-term target range in October.
The annual inflation rate in the country was at 7.2% in October, up from 6.9% in September. It was at 28.3% at the beginning of the year.
“The Committee assessed that the tight monetary policy stance continues to play an important role in sustaining the downward trend in inflation,” the bank said.
A sharp decline in food inflation, favorable global oil prices and absence of expected adjustments in gas tariffs have accelerated the pace of disinflation in recent months, it added.