The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) decided on Wednesday to maintain the policy rate at 12 per cent, citing lower-than-expected inflation in February 2025, driven by decreased food and energy prices. The MPC highlighted the key developments that have occurred since its previous meeting. One notable change was the shift of the current account from a surplus to a deficit of $0.4 billion in January 2025, following several months of surplus. In February 2025, headline inflation dropped to 1.5 per cent y/y from 2.4 per cent in the previous month. This was driven by lower prices of perishable food items and ample stocks of non-perishable items. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: Y.Yasser Download