3.
TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1980
CREDIT TO THE ECONOMY
BANK LOANS IN HONG KONG ROSE IN MARCH BY 0.4 PER CENT, VERY SHARPLY DOWN FROM THE FEBRUARY RISE OF 4.6 PER CENT, AND EQUIVALENT TO THE LOWEST RECORDED INCREASE IN THIS FIGURE IN THE LAST 15 MONTHS OF 0.4 PER CENT IN AUGUST 1979.
LOANS IN HONG KONG BY DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE IN MARCH BY 9.4 PER CENT, WELL UP FROM THE FEBRUARY RISE OF 5.2 PER CENT.
TOTAL CREDIT TO THE ECONOMY GREW BY 2.0 PER CENT IN MARCH, AGAIN A SHARP REDUCTION FROM THE FEBRUARY INCREASE OF 4.7 PER CENT, AND THE LOWEST MONTHLY RISE SINCE AUGUST 1979.
IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR TOTAL CREDIT TO THE ECONOMY ROSE BY 13.9 PER CENT, WHICH IS FASTER THAN THE INCREASE OF 10.6 PER CENT RECORDED IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.
BALANCE SHEET RATIOS
THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO FOR ALL BANKS IN HONG KONG FELL SLIGHTLY IN MARCH TO 52.6 PER CENT, FROM 53.6 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY. THE LOANS/DEPOSIT RATIO HOWEVER CONTINUED TO RISE TO 101.7 PER CENT AT THE END OF MARCH, FROM 98.9 PER CENT AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.
THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAK ING COMPANIES FELL MORE SHARPLY IN MARCH, REACHING 44.6 PER CENT COMPARED WITH 48.1 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY. THE LOAN/DEPOSIT RATIO AT THE END OF MARCH HOWEVER ROSE TO 54.8 PER CENT FROM 51.8 PER CENT.
QUARTERLY ANALYSIS OF LENDING IN HONG KONG BY SECTOR
LOANS TO THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR ROSE BY 16.5 PER CENT BETWEEN DECEMBER 1979 AND MARCH 1980, WHILE LOANS TO THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SECTOR ROSÉ BY 17.9 PER CENT. LOANS TO THE TRANSPORT AND TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT SECTOR ROSE BY 10.3 PER CENT.
BORROWING BY INDIVIDUALS TO PURCHASE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ROSE BY 7.9 PER CENT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES BY 36.2 PER CENT (WITHIN THAT FIGURE LOANS TO INDIVIDUALS FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES ROSE BY 76.0 PER CENT).
/THE DETAILED FIGURES