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Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account
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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (October 31) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$4,032.6 billion as at September 30, 2018, HK$38.9 billion higher than that at the end of August 2018. Foreign currency assets increased by HK$19.5 billion and Hong Kong dollar assets increased by HK$19.4 billion.
      
     The rise in foreign currency assets was mainly due to an increase in unsettled purchases of securities and the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness. The rise in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to the overnight liquidity provided under the Discount Window at the month end following the established mechanism to facilitate interbank settlement.
      
     The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of September 2018 was HK$1,619.6 billion, increased by HK$8.5 billion, or 0.5%, from the end of August 2018. The rise was mainly due to the increase in the outstanding amount of Certificates of Indebtedness.
      
     The amount of Backing Assets increased by HK$3.7 billion, or 0.2%, to HK$1,769.5 billion. The increase was mainly attributable to the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness, which was partly offset by the decline in the market value of investments. The backing ratio decreased from 109.59% at the end of August 2018 to 109.25% at the end of September 2018.

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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 October 2018, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 
October 5
(Issued)
SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
 
October 12
 (Issued)
SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
 
October 31
 
SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
 
October 31
 
Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account
 

 
Ends/Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Issued at HKT 16:30
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