RDA inflows drop 25% MoM in April

KARACHI: Inflows through the Roshan Digital Account (RDA) fell to $177 million in April, representing a 25 per cent decline from the previous month.RDA inflows reached $10.18 billion from September 2020 to April 2025.

Analysts said the total amount received under the RDA continued to rise, reflecting strong participation from overseas Pakistanis. A decline in monthly inflows indicates a temporary slowdown after recent highs.

The number of digital accounts rose to 814,244 by April, up from 805,422 in March.“The net repatriable liability stood at $1.9 billion, or 18.6 per cent of total inflows, indicating that a large portion of funds remains invested locally. To date, $6.53 billion has been utilised within Pakistan, mainly in Naya Pakistan Certificates and Roshan Equity,” said Saad Hanif, head of research at Ismail Iqbal Securities.

“Despite the monthly dip, the rising cumulative inflows and steady liabilities reaffirm the RDA’s role in supporting foreign exchange reserves. Backed by IMF-led reforms and improving macro fundamentals, the initiative continues to attract long-term diaspora investment,” Hanif added.

On Wednesday, Pakistan received the second tranche of $1.02 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of the $7 billion loan programme, which has further strengthened foreign exchange reserves, reinforcing macroeconomic stability.

Last week, the IMF completed the first review of the 37-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) that the global lender agreed with Islamabad last year. This review resulted in the approval of a $1 billion disbursement for Pakistan. Additionally, the IMF approved a new loan of $1.4 billion under its climate resilience fund.

The RDA facility, in collaboration with commercial banks, enables the Pakistani diaspora to open a digital bank account in Pakistan. The account can be used for investing, banking and payments. Remittances from overseas can also be sent to Pakistan via the RDA.

Remittances from Pakistanis working abroad increased 13 per cent year-on-year to $3.2 billion in April. These inflows fell by 22 per cent MoM.The cash sent home by Pakistanis living abroad rose 31 per cent to $31.2 billion in 10 months through April from a year ago.