KARACHI: Pakistan recorded its highest current account surplus in almost 10 years this November, driven by a reduction in trade and services deficits and lower interest and dividend repatriations, according to The News on Wednesday. The surplus stood at $729 million, the largest since February 2015. This figure represents a sharp rise from $346 million in October and a stark contrast to the $148 million deficit in November 2023, as revealed by central bank data on Tuesday. November also marked the fourth consecutive month of a current account surplus. Over the first five months of FY2025, the country posted a cumulative surplus of $944 million, compared to a $1.67 billion deficit during the same period last year. The 111% month-on-month growth in November’s surplus was attributed to a 14% decline in the trade deficit, which narrowed to $1.361 billion, alongside a 43% drop in the services deficit to $152 million. Additionally, the primary deficit saw a 7% monthly decline to $843 million. Goods imports decreased by 10% to $4.136 billion, while services imports dropped by 13% to $828 million. Total goods exports rose 3% year-on-year to $2.775 billion, though they declined 8% on a month-on-month basis in November. These figures highlight the significant improvements in Pakistan’s external accounts, reflecting better management of trade and services balances and bolstered by strong remittances.