*******************************************************
The Government announced today (June 29) its financial results for the two months ended May 31, 2012.
Expenditure for the period April to May 2012 amounted to HK$57.3 billion and revenue HK$48.4 billion, resulting in a deficit of HK$8.9 billion.
A Government spokesperson said that the deficit for the period was mainly because some major types of revenue, including salaries and profits taxes, were mostly received towards the end of a financial year.
The fiscal reserves stood at HK$660.2 billion as at May 31, 2012.
More detailed figures are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
TABLE 1. CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT (Note 1)
Month ended Two months ended
May 31, 2012 May 31, 2012
------------ ----------------
HK$ million HK$ million
Revenue 22,921.1 48,355.4
Expenditure (32,292.3) (57,254.1)
------------ ----------------
Deficit (9,371.2) (8,898.7)
------------ ----------------
Financing
Domestic
Banking Sector 9,375.0 8,201.5
(Note 2)
Non-Banking Sector (3.8) 697.2
External - -
------------ ----------------
Total 9,371.2 8,898.7
------------ ----------------
Government Debts as at May 31, 2012 (Note 3)
HK$11,208.1 million
Debts Guaranteed by Government as at May 31, 2012 (Note 4)
HK$68,573.6 million
TABLE 2. FISCAL RESERVES
Month ended Two months ended
May 31, 2012 May 31, 2012
------------ ----------------
HK$ million HK$ million
Fiscal Reserves 669,561.1 669,088.6
at start of period
Consolidated (9,371.2) (8,898.7)
Deficit ------------ ----------------
Fiscal Reserves 660,189.9 660,189.9
at end of period
------------ ----------------
Notes:
1. This Account consolidates the General Revenue Account and the following eight funds: Capital Works Reserve Fund, Capital Investment Fund, Civil Service Pension Reserve Fund, Disaster Relief Fund, Innovation and Technology Fund, Land Fund, Loan Fund and Lotteries Fund. It excludes the Bond Fund, the balance of which is not part of the fiscal reserves. The Bond Fund balance as at May 31, 2012 is HK$54,942 million.
2. Includes transactions with the Exchange Fund and resident banks.
3. These are the outstanding institutional notes (including US$1.25 billion denominated in United States dollars) as at May 31, 2012, which will mature within the period from August 2014 to July 2019. The outstanding bonds of HK$52,500 million issued under the Government Bond Programme (with proceeds credited to the Bond Fund) are excluded. Of these bonds, HK$7,000 million will mature within the period from June 2012 to May 2013 and the rest will mature within the period from June 2013 to August 2021.
4. Includes guarantees provided under the Special Finance Scheme for Small and Medium Enterprises launched in 1998, the SME Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2001, the Special Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2008, the Film Guarantee Fund and the commercial loan of the Ocean Park Corporation.
Ends/Friday, June 29, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:31
NNNN
