Financial results for the four months ended July 31, 2012
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     The Government announced today (August 31) its financial results for the four months ended July 31, 2012.

     Expenditure for the period April to July 2012 amounted to HK$121 billion and revenue HK$99.4 billion, resulting in a deficit of HK$21.6 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$647.5 billion as at July 31, 2012.

     More detailed figures are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

TABLE 1.   CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT (Note 1)

                  Month ended     Four months ended
                 July 31, 2012       July 31, 2012
                 -------------    -----------------
                  HK$ million        HK$ million

Revenue             20,496.0           99,361.2
Expenditure        (32,428.8)        (120,959.5)
                 -------------    -----------------
Deficit            (11,932.8)         (21,598.3)
                 -------------    -----------------

Financing
 Domestic
  Banking Sector    12,075.9           21,229.6
   (Note 2)
  Non-Banking Sector  (143.1)             368.7
 External              -                   -
                 -------------    -----------------
Total               11,932.8           21,598.3
                 -------------    -----------------

Government Debts as at July 31, 2012 (Note 3)
  HK$11,194.4 million
Debts Guaranteed by Government as at July 31, 2012 (Note 4)
  HK$65,497.7 million

TABLE 2.   FISCAL RESERVES

                  Month ended     Four months ended
                 July 31, 2012       July 31, 2012
                 -------------    -----------------
                  HK$ million        HK$ million

Fiscal Reserves   659,423.1           669,088.6
at start of period

Consolidated      (11,932.8)          (21,598.3)
Deficit          -------------    -----------------

Fiscal Reserves   647,490.3           647,490.3
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 July 31, 2012, is HK$66,025 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 July 31, 2012, which will mature within the period from August 2014 to July 2019. The outstanding bonds of HK$64,000 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 August 2012 to July 2013 and the rest will mature within the period from August 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, August 31, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:30

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