It is comforting to note that Pakistan economy has breached the level of $400 billion economy. Per capita income had also breached the level of $1,800. With decrease in interest rates and inflation, the economy may get breathing space. Decrease in interest rates has eased the fiscal burden which will provide space to contain fiscal deficit at 3.9% of GDP and maintain primary surplus at 2.4% of GDP.
The first role of money is to be a store of value- something that is expected to retain its value in a reasonably predictable way over time. Gold or silver that was mined hundreds of years ago would still be valuable today” (source) – So think of it as something that doesn’t really get affected by inflation, and hence won’t lose its value. Money’s second role is to be a unit of account. The thing that goods and services are priced in terms of. For example, the price of items you see on menus and tags. Pound is currency of the United Kingdom, but it could be a type of good instead. It could also be barter: ‘give me 5 goats if you want my new horse.
Conventional banks only provide loans no matter whether the loan amount is used for purchasing assets or not. As far as repayment of debt is considered in conventional finance lease or mortgage loans, the interest is due from the very first date of sanction of loan till the very last. If the asset remains unusable during the conventional finance lease, the instalments including interest and principal repayment will continue without any break. If interest amount is not paid on time, then interest has to be paid on accrued interest along with financial penalties. Compounded interest can multiply exponentially.
If the virus had been growing at a linear rate, it would not have been that much dangerous. It is the exponential increase in the Corona Virus spread which makes it become uncontrollable and create havoc in the society. Compound interest in the financial system is such a Corona Virus. Interest accrued but unpaid increases interest in the future periods ahead at an exponential rate.
It is important to pursue financial engineering in innovative ways, but also keeping in view the Ahkam and Maqasid of Shari’ah.
Islamic Economics Project 