The government has revised profit rates on several National Savings Schemes, following the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) decision to maintain the policy rate at 12%, The News reported.
The Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) increased the return on Short Term Saving Certificates to 10.96%, up 15 basis points from 10.81%, while Defence Saving Certificates now offer 12.15%, a marginal rise from 12.14%. Returns on the Pensioner Benefit Account, Behbood Savings Certificate, and Shuhada Family Welfare Account were each increased by 10 basis points to 13.68%.
The Sarwa Islamic Term Account and Sarwa Islamic Saving Account saw the largest hike, both rising by 70 basis points to 10.44%. However, the regular Saving Account rate was reduced by 100 basis points, dropping to 10.5% from 11.5%.
CDNS, which manages over Rs3.4 trillion in assets and serves more than four million customers nationwide, plays a key role in supporting government financing needs. The changes come as inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index, dropped to 1.5% year-on-year in February 2025 — the lowest in nearly a decade — down from 2.4% in January, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
