Asset Allocation for Government Pension Funds in Pakistan: A Case for International Diversification

Fahad Rehman ()
Additional contact information
Fahad Rehman: Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA), Ministry of Industries and Production, Government of Pakistan.

Lahore Journal of Economics, 2010, vol. 15, issue 1, 127-151

Abstract: Reforms have begun in Pakistan to sustain the funded pension scheme for government-operated pension schemes such as the Employees Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI). Presently, the EOBI operates its own fund and invests most of its assets in government-backed securities which are basically interest-bearing debt instruments. Although the returns on the EOBI’s fund have been high for a short period due to higher interest rates and minimum pension distributions, this trend is not likely to continue. Funded pension schemes depend heavily on portfolio performance because risk is transferred to contributors. Therefore, asset allocation becomes considerably important. The purpose of this study is to determine optimal asset allocation and the role of international diversification specifically for the EOBI’s funds and generally for newly created funded pension schemes in Pakistan. The article analyzes the potential benefits accrued through international investments based on historical returns over almost five decades with varying degrees of risk aversion coefficients. Varying degrees of risk may allow policymakers to incorporate their strategies for future asset behavior and take timely action to counter the potential threat of aging, demographic shifts, and liabilities and to ensure decent benefits for pensioners.

Keywords: Asset allocation; international diversification; pension fund; Pakistan. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G11 G23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://121.52.153.179/JOURNAL/LJE%20Vol15-%20No.12 ... an%20EDITED%20AC.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:lje:journl:v:15:y:2010:i:1:p:127-151

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Lahore Journal of Economics from Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Shahid Salahuddin ().