The Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) has adjusted the profit rates on various National Savings Schemes following the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decision to maintain the policy rate at 12%, according to reports on Friday.
As part of this revision, the return on Short Term Saving Certificates (STSC) has increased by 15 basis points, rising to 10.96% from the previous rate of 10.81%. Similarly, the return on Defence Saving Certificates (DSC) has been slightly adjusted, now offering 12.15%, up by 1 basis point from 12.14%.
The profit rates for the Pensioner Benefit Account, Behbood Savings Certificate, and Shuhada Family Welfare Account have also seen a 10 basis point increase, bringing their returns to 13.68%. In a notable change, the Sarwa Islamic Term Account (SITA) and Sarwa Islamic Saving Account (SISA) have received a substantial hike of 70 basis points, with the new rates climbing to 10.44%, up from 9.74%.
On the other hand, the rate for the Saving Account has been reduced by 100 basis points, now offering a return of 10.5%, down from the previous rate of 11.5%.
The CDNS, which is Pakistan’s largest financial institution, oversees assets surpassing Rs3.4 trillion and serves over four million customers through a network of 376 branches across the country. It plays a key role in supporting the government’s budgetary needs and financing important infrastructure projects.
These revisions in profit rates come after the SBP’s decision to keep the policy rate stable at 12%, a move aimed at managing inflation and promoting economic stability. Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), decreased to 1.5% year-on-year in February 2025, down from 2.4% in January, marking the lowest inflation rate in 113 months, as reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
