Profit rates on savings schemes slashed

E-Paper | July 31, 2026

Profit rates on savings schemes slashed

Khaleeq Kiani Published April 25, 2020

Rate of return on Behbood Savings Certificates, Pensioners’ Benefit Account has been slashed by 1.96 percentage points. — AFP/File

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ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday slashed profit rates on all savings schemes and accounts of the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS). The new rates will be applicable to deposits and investments with effect from April 24.

According to a series of notifications issued by the Ministry of Finance, profit rate on Defence Savings Certificates has been reduced by two percentage points to 8.54 per cent from 10.54pc.

Likewise, the rate of return on Behbood Savings Certificates and Pensioners’ Benefit Account has been slashed by 1.96 percentage points to 10.32pc from 12.28.

Similarly, the return on regular income certificates has been reduced by 2.28 percentage points to 8.28pc from 10.56pc.

The return on special savings certificates has been reduced by 3.03 percentage points to 8.10pc from 11.13.

The rate of return on savings accounts certificates has been scaled down by 1.6 percentage points to 7pc from 8.60pc.

The rates have been revised down due to the declining secondary market yields on long-term Pakistan Investment Bonds and Treasury Bills in line with the decreasing policy rate of the State Bank of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2020

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Khaleeq Kiani is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn, specializing in political economy, governance, business, finance, macroeconomics and energy. He can be found on X at @khaleeqkiani.

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Speetaman A Arjani

Apr 25, 2020 08:26am

What about those investments in Behbood before 24th April 2020? Will they remain the same or they will be affected too by this decline?

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Reject Tableeghi

Apr 25, 2020 10:04am

Means interest rate?

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Ding Dong

Apr 25, 2020 10:33am

Pathetic situation

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Taimur

Apr 25, 2020 12:22pm

This is not in the favour of pensioners and widows. The same government provided high profit to those who invested through hot money. In the time of corona crisis a very bad decision to suppress the poor who do not have any other source of income. If those who looted money are given free hand through construction industry package then why this enemity towards pensioners?

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Vikas

Apr 25, 2020 12:27pm

This is exactly what I meant when people were asking for reduction of interest rates. Obviously the deposit rates will have to be dropped and if these rates cannot meet inflation, then people are actually losing money by keeping it in banks or bonds. So I wonder where the money for the loans to be given at reduced rates come from? Deficit and printing more money, is the only way leading to further inflation and a catch 22 situation.

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Omar

Apr 25, 2020 12:33pm

Understandable.

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Vikas

Apr 25, 2020 01:32pm

So these rates are now below the rate of inflation. Big incentive fr people to save or deposit money with banks. Trust me guys, buy gold or Dollars and don't keep any money in PKR form.

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shabir Shakir

Apr 25, 2020 02:31pm

Poor has been hit hard during this high price time, widow, senior, pensioners and poor have been in hit list of Govt.

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M. Saeed

Apr 25, 2020 05:22pm

This is simply inhuman. Investments in the National Saving Schemes, especially Behbood Saving Certificates and Pensioner's Benefit Account, were the only sources of income for the senior citizens, who have repeatedly been hit hardest in their old age, by such cruel and careless actions of the Government, while all others are being given salary increases due to inflation and other benefits.

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Blitzkrieg

Apr 25, 2020 07:49pm

These rates will be applicable to anyone investing after April 24th. They don't automatically apply retroactively. So if pensioners and widows have invested their money before this date, they will continue to get the applicable interest rate of that time.

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Mumtaz Ahmed Shah

Apr 25, 2020 09:12pm

It is injustice to senior citizens and widowed.(Texas)

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kaspar

Apr 25, 2020 11:07pm

Another proof of this regime's sympathies for the poor!

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