The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (May 31) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$4,410.5 billion as at April 30, 2022, HK$97.9 billion lower than that at the end of March 2022. Foreign currency assets decreased by HK$104.4 billion while Hong Kong dollar assets increased by HK$6.5 billion.

     The decline in foreign currency assets was mainly due to the withdrawals of Fiscal Reserves placements and the mark-to-market revaluation on investments, which were partly offset by an increase in the month-end balances of unsettled purchase of securities. The rise in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to the increase in placements with banks, which was partly offset by the mark-to-market revaluation on Hong Kong equities.

     The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of April 2022 was HK$2,153.1 billion, increased by HK$5.8 billion, or 0.3 per cent, from the end of March 2022. The rise was mainly due to an increase in the outstanding amount of Certificates of Indebtedness.

     The amount of Backing Assets increased by HK$3.0 billion, or 0.1 per cent, to HK$2,358.7 billion. The increase was mainly attributable to the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness, which was partly offset by the mark-to-market revaluation on investments. The backing ratio decreased from 109.71 per cent at the end of March 2022 to 109.55 per cent at the end of April 2022.
 
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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 May 2022, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 

May 6  (Issued)	SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
May 13 (Issued)	SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
May 31	SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
May 31	Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account

                  

Ends/Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:30

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