The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has updated the minimum profit rate rules for savings accounts and launched InvestPak. Learn how the new Rs 10 million threshold impacts your returns.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has rolled out a major policy shift that directly impacts how much profit you can earn on your bank deposits. Alongside these changes, the SBP launched InvestPak, a brand-new digital platform designed to make it easier for everyday Pakistanis and businesses to invest in government securities.
If you hold a significant amount of cash in a traditional savings account, here is everything you need to know about the new rules taking effect on August 1, 2026.
The Rs 10 Million Threshold: What Changed?
Historically, the SBP protected depositors by enforcing a Minimum Deposit Rate (MDR), a guaranteed baseline profit that banks had to pay on all savings accounts regardless of the balance. Under BPRD Circular Letter No. 15 of 2026, this blanket protection has been lifted for high-value accounts.
Starting August 1, 2026, the MDR rules will apply differently based on your balance:
- Balances up to Rs 10 Million: The mandatory minimum profit rate remains fully intact for individual account holders maintaining a monthly average balance of up to Rs 10 million. Your returns are still protected by SBP regulations.
- Balances above Rs 10 Million: For savings accounts exceeding the Rs 10 million mark, the guaranteed minimum profit rate has been removed. Banks are now free to offer lower negotiated rates on these large deposits, meaning your cash could earn less if left sitting in a standard savings account. Institutional investors are also no longer protected by the MDR.
Enter InvestPak: A New Way to Invest
To provide an alternative for those seeking better returns, the SBP officially launched InvestPak on July 6, 2026. Inaugurated by Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad, InvestPak is a dedicated web portal and mobile application.
The platform allows retail and corporate investors to bypass the traditional hurdles of the sovereign debt market. You can now directly purchase government securities — like Market Treasury Bills (MTBs) and Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) — digitally from your home or office.
Key Features of InvestPak
- Direct Access: Place competitive and non-competitive bids directly in the primary market.
- Secondary Market Trading: Buy and sell government securities on the secondary market right through the app.
- Financial Tools: Use built-in calculators to check yields and margins before committing your funds.
- Unified Portfolio: Manage multiple PKR and IPS (Investor Portfolio Securities) accounts across different participating banks in one place.
Why is the SBP Making This Change?
The dual strategy of relaxing the MDR and launching InvestPak serves two primary macroeconomic goals:
- Democratizing Sovereign Debt: By pushing high-net-worth individuals and corporate depositors out of standard savings accounts, the SBP is encouraging them to invest their idle cash directly into government securities. This broadens the government’s borrowing base and increases public participation.
- Boosting Private Sector Lending: As large depositors move their funds to InvestPak, commercial banks are freed from holding massive, expensive deposits just for government borrowing. This gives banks more liquidity and incentive to focus on their core responsibility: lending to the private sector to stimulate economic growth.
What Should You Do Next?
If your monthly average savings balance sits below Rs 10 million, you don’t need to take any immediate action, your profit rates remain protected under the current MDR.
However, if your liquid savings exceed Rs 10 million, or if you manage corporate funds, leaving that money in a standard bank account after August 1, 2026, could mean accepting sub-par returns.