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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (April 30) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$3,279.5 billion as at March 31, 2015, HK$12.2 billion higher than that at the end of February 2015. Foreign currency assets decreased by HK$27.2 billion while Hong Kong dollar assets increased by HK$39.4 billion.
The decline in foreign currency assets was mainly due to mark-to-market losses on foreign currency portfolios and the redemption of Certificates of Indebtedness. The rise in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to an increase in Exchange Fund Bills and Notes issued but not yet settled.
The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of March 2015 was HK$1,355.3 billion, decreased by HK$12.1 billion, or 0.9%, from the end of February 2015. The decline was mainly due to a decrease in the outstanding amount of Certificates of Indebtedness.
The amount of Backing Assets decreased by HK$11.1 billion, or 0.8%, to HK$1,455.3 billion. The decrease was mainly attributable to a reduction in assets connected with the redemption of Certificates of Indebtedness. The backing ratio increased from 107.24% at the end of February 2015 to 107.38% at the end of March 2015.
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At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA 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 2015, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
April 9 (Issued)
SDDS International Reserves
(Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
April 14 (Issued)
SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank
(Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
April 30
Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account
April 30
SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
Ends/Thursday, April 30, 2015
Issued at HKT 16:31
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