This is apropos a Business Recorder op-ed ‘Moody’s: there’s method in its madness’ carried by the newspaper on Saturday. The writer, Farhat Ali, has presented an informed perspective on the role of rating agencies with a particular reference to Pakistan.
He has said, among other things, that “Pakistan, too, has refuted Moody’s rating. However, considering the ground realities, refuting Moody’s rating has no significance to those who matter, notably, the lenders, investors and businesses. The rating has taken its toll and has shaken the fiscal and investment dynamics of Pakistan’s fragile economy. This may well turn out to be the last wake-up call.”
I would like to make two points in relation to what the writer has argued through his op-ed. Firstly, the economic conditions or the state of economy of the country had warranted rating downgrades, not just downgrade. There cannot be two opinions about it, although finance minister Ishaq Dar had vainly tried to challenge the assessment by a top rating agency. That the finance minister had no solid case to dislodge the rating agency’s assessment of the economy of Pakistan is a fact.
Secondly, what is important to note about the role of rating agencies is that ratings help governments from emerging and developing countries to issue bonds to domestic and international investors. Ratings are relied upon by foreign and domestic investors alike.
In other words, one of the major impacts of the current economic crisis in the country is loss of investor confidence. An improved investor confidence would certainly cause a healthy impact on country’s overall ratings.
Noman Janjua (Rawalpindi)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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