The Government announced today (March 31) its financial results for the 11 months ended February 28, 2022.
 
     There was a deficit of HK$25.3 billion in the month of February. Expenditure for the 11-month period amounted to HK$618.6 billion and revenue HK$661.8 billion, with the cumulative year-to-date surplus at HK$72.3 billion after receipt of net proceeds of HK$29.1 billion from issuance of green bonds under the Government Green Bond Programme (Green Bond).
 
     The fiscal reserves stood at HK$1,000 billion as at February 28, 2022.
 
     Detailed figures are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
 
TABLE 1. CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT (Note 1)
 

	Month ended February 28, 2022 HK$ million	11 months ended February 28, 2022 HK$ million
Revenue	51,813.1	661,741.1
Expenditure	(77,083.4)	(618,610.4)
(Deficit)/Surplus before issuance of Green Bond	(25,270.3)	43,130.7
Net proceeds from issuance of Green Bond	-	29,124.2
(Deficit)/Surplus after issuance of Green Bond	(25,270.3)	72,254.9
Financing
Domestic
Banking Sector (Note 2)	26,738.4	(71,094.1)
Non-Banking Sector	(1,468.1)	(1,160.8)
External	-	-
Total	25,270.3	(72,254.9)

 
Government Debts as at February 28, 2022 (Note 3)
    HK$56,618 million
Debts Guaranteed by Government as at February 28, 2022 (Note 4)
    HK$118,971.2 million

TABLE 2. FISCAL RESERVES
 

	Month ended February 28, 2022 HK$ million	11 months ended February 28, 2022 HK$ million
Fiscal Reserves at start of period	1,025,292.2	927,767.0
Consolidated (Deficit)/Surplus after issuance of Green Bond	(25,270.3)	72,254.9
Fiscal Reserves at end of period (Note 5)	1,000,021.9	1,000,021.9

 
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 February 28, 2022, was HK$209,407 million.

2. Includes transactions with the Exchange Fund and resident banks.

3. These were the Green Bonds (equivalent to HK$56,618 million as at February 28, 2022) issued under the Government Green Bond Programme. They were denominated in US dollars (US$4,500 million with maturity from May 2024 to February 2051), euros (1,750 million euros with maturity from November 2026 to November 2041) and Renminbi (RMB5,000 million with maturity from November 2024 to November 2026). They do not include the outstanding bonds with nominal value of HK$170,618 million and alternative bonds with nominal value of US$1,000 million (equivalent to HK$7,810 million as at February 28, 2022) issued under the Government Bond Programme (with proceeds credited to the Bond Fund). Of these bonds under the Government Bond Programme (including Silver Bonds with nominal value of HK$47,618 million, which may be redeemed before maturity upon request from bond holders), bonds with nominal value of HK$31,711 million will mature within the period from March 2022 to February 2023 and the rest within the period from March 2023 to March 2036.

4. Includes guarantees provided under the SME Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2001, the Special Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2008, the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme launched in 2012 and a commercial loan of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.
 
5. Includes HK$257,367 million, being the balance of the Land Fund held in the name of "Future Fund", for long-term investments initially up to December 31, 2025. The Future Fund also includes HK$4,800 million, being one-third of the actual surplus in 2015-16 as top-up.

Ends/Thursday, March 31, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:30

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