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“UESDA¡, MAY 29, 1984
LOANS AND ADVANCES
TOTAL LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED BY BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAK ING COMPANIES GREW BY 0.5 PER CENT FOLLOWING A RISE OF 1.2 PER CENT IN MARCH. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO APRIL THE INCREASE WAS 2.1 PER CENT AND OVER THE TWELVE MONTHS 14.4 PER CENT. FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE MONTH, LOANS TO FINANCE VISIBLE TRADE GREW, BY A SHARP 4.0 PER CENT IN APRIL, REFLECTING THE STRONG GROWTH IN THE EXPORT SECTOR. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO APRIL THE INCREASE WAS 7.0 PER CENT AND OVER THE TWELVE MONTHS 15.3 PER CENT. OTHER LOANS FOR USE IN HONG KONG FELL BY 0.2 PER CENT AFTER AN INCREASE OF 0.5 PER CENT IN MARCH. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO APRIL THE INCREASE WAS 0.9 PER CENT AND OVER THE TWELVE MONTHS THE INCREASE WAS 7.9 PER CENT.
FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
REFLECTING THE SWITCH TO FOREIGN CURRENCY DEPOSITS DURING THE MONTH, THE NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF THE MONETARY SECTOR ROSE TO $8.9 BILLION AT THE END OF APRIL FROM $4.9 BILLION AT THE END OF MARCH. BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES HAD NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF $6.7 BILL ION AND $2.2 BILLION RESPECTIVELY. STATISTICS COLLECTED (ON THE BASIS OF SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS) BY THE COMMISSIONER OF BANK ING AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES SHOWED AN INCREASE IN NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF $3.6 BILLION TO $9.9 BILLION IN APRIL. THE SECTOR'S FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY POSITION SHOWS NET ASSETS OF $31.9 BILLION.
LIQUIDITY RATIOS
THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S. 18 OF THE BANKING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS ROSE TO 51.9 PER CENT FROM 49.3 PER CENT IN MARCH. THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S. 24 OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ORDINANCES) FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE TO 53.6 PER CENT FROM 52.5 PER CENT IN MARCH.
NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS
THE NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS REPORTING MONETARY STATISTICS REMAINED UNCHANGED IN APRIL WITH 134 LICENSED BANKS, 30 LICENSED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES AND 317 REGISTERED DEPOS IT-TAKING COMPANIES,
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