Nirmala Sitharaman: 'The market decides the value of the rupee, there has been no decline', statement of Union Finance Minister Sitharaman

The price of the Indian rupee is determined by the market and there has been no decline in its value. This is a characteristic of a fixed exchange rate system. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said this on Monday.

Recently, the value of the Indian rupee reached an all-time low of Rs 87.29 against the US dollar. Domestic and global factors such as the position of the dollar index, capital flow, level of interest rates, fluctuations in crude oil prices and current account deficit affect the exchange rate of the rupee.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said, the Indian rupee has not depreciated, which is a characteristic of a fixed exchange rate system. He said the price of the Indian rupee is determined by the market. It does not have any fixed target or level. The Finance Minister said that devaluation of the currency can increase export competitiveness, which has a positive impact on the economy. However, the prices of imported goods can increase due to the fall in the value of the currency.

He said, when the value of the rupee decreases, it can affect the prices of goods in the domestic market. It depends on how the prices of the goods being sold in the international market increase and how this increase affects the market of our country. The minister said that imports in the economy depend on various factors, including the supply and demand of goods in the international market, the nature of tradable goods, freight charges, and the availability of substitute goods.

Responding to a question, he said that by the end of March 2024, insurance companies had pending insurance amount of Rs 21,718 crore, on which people have not been able to claim yet. In March 2023, this amount was Rs 23,699 crore and before that it was Rs 25,403 crore.