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The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released today (April 30) analytical data on the Hong Kong SAR's foreign currency reserves and foreign currency liquidity at the end of March 2003 (Annex which is on the HKMA website http://www.hkma.gov.hk). These data are published monthly in the Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard.

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At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of April, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:

April 7 SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong's Latest

(Issued) Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)

April 14 SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank

(Issued) (Exchange Fund Balance Sheet Data)

April 25 Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and

(Issued) Currency Board Account

April 30 SDDS Template on International Reserves and

Foreign Currency Liquidity

For further enquiries, please contact:

Sylvia Yip, Manager (Press), at 2878 1687 or

Thomas Chan, Senior Manager (Press), at 2878 1480

End/Wednesday, April 30, 2003

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