There is good news and there is bad news. First the good news. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) affirms that the opening of investor accounts under the Roshan Digital Accounts from mainly the Non-Resident Pakistanis (NRPs) has been very satisfying. The NRPs accounts have grown by around 70 per cent from just under 10,000 in 2020 to over 18,000.
It has as much to do with the confidence in the Pakistan stock exchange (PSX) which has devised with the SBP a one-step simple procedure earmarked for the opening of accounts. Yet the market has attracted just 0.2pc of overseas Pakistanis to invest in the country’s equity market.