September 19, 2006	Tuesday	Sha'aban 25, 1427

SINGAPORE, Sept 18: Pakistan may issue a 15-year foreign currency bond when it taps the global bond market next to create better liquidity after the sale of 10- and 30-year bonds this year, an official said on Monday.

“We may do a 15-year bond -- between 10 and 30 (years) we need to fill them up,” Salman Shah, adviser on finance to the prime minister, told reporters.

He said the government had not decided on the timeframe for the bond issue, but he added different maturities were necessary to have liquidity in its bonds.

In March, the government sold a total of $800 million 10- and 30-year bonds.

When asked if the government has been able to contain inflationary pressures, he said the monetary tightening has helped curb rising inflation.—Reuters