Financial results for the four months ended July 31, 2022
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     The Government announced today (August 31) its financial results for the four months ended July 31, 2022.
 
     Expenditure for the period April to July 2022 amounted to HK$250.7 billion and revenue HK$96.3 billion, resulting in a cumulative year-to-date deficit of HK$134.4 billion after taking into account the proceeds of HK$20 billion received from issuance of green bonds under the Government Green Bond Programme (Green Bond).
 
     A Government spokesperson said that the cumulative year-to-date deficit for the period was mainly due to the fact that some major types of revenue including salaries and profits taxes are mostly received towards the end of a financial year.
 
     The fiscal reserves stood at HK$822.8 billion as at July 31, 2022.
 
     Detailed figures are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
 
TABLE 1. CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT (Note 1)
 
 
 
Month ended
July 31, 2022
HK$ million
Four months ended
July 31, 2022
HK$ million
Revenue 29,090.4 96,330.0
Expenditure (54,219.2) (250,685.2)
     
Deficit before
issuance of Green Bond
(25,128.8) (154,355.2)
     
Proceeds received from
issuance of Green Bond
- 20,000.0
     
Deficit after
issuance of Green Bond
(25,128.8) (134,355.2)
     
Financing    
      Domestic    
          Banking Sector (Note 2) 33,914.2 141,609.0
          Non-Banking Sector (8,785.4) (7,253.8)
      External - -
                           
Total 25,128.8 134,355.2
  
Government Debts as at July 31, 2022 (Note 3)
    HK$75,177 million
Debts Guaranteed by Government as at July 31, 2022 (Note 4)
    HK$127,487.2 million
 
TABLE 2. FISCAL RESERVES
 
 
 
Month ended
July 31, 2022
HK$ million
Four months ended
July 31, 2022
HK$ million
Fiscal Reserves at start of period 847,920.1 957,146.5
 
Consolidated Deficit after
issuance of Green Bond 
(25,128.8) (134,355.2)
 
     
Fiscal Reserves at end of period
(Note 5)
822,791.3 822,791.3
 
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, 2022, was HK$206,439 million.

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

3. These were the Green Bonds (equivalent to HK$75,177 million as at July 31, 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), Renminbi (RMB5,000 million with maturity from November 2024 to November 2026) and Hong Kong dollars (HK$20,000 million with maturity in May 2025). They do not include the outstanding bonds with nominal value of HK$169,245 million and alternative bonds with nominal value of US$1,000 million (equivalent to HK$7,850 million as at July 31, 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$44,445 million, which may be redeemed before maturity upon request from bond holders), bonds with nominal value of HK$21,300 million will mature within the period from August 2022 to July 2023 and the rest within the period from August 2023 to May 2042.

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/Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:30

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