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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1984
.OANS AND ADVANCES
TOTAL LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED BY BANKS AND DEPOSIT- TAK ING COMPANIES INCREASED BY ONLY 0.5 PER CENT IN AUGUST, AFTER AN INCREASE OF 1.2 PER CENT IN JULY. THE INCREASE IN THE THREE MONTHS TO AUGUST WAS 2.1 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS 10.2 PER CENT.
LOANS TO FINANCE VISIBLE TRADE DECREASED BY 2.3 PER CENT IN AUGUST, BUT SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 4.5 PER CENT OVER THE THREE MONTHS TO AUGUST AND 18.8 PER CENT OVER THE 12 MONTHS.
OTHER LOANS FOR USE IN HONG KONG CONTINUED TO RISE ONLY MARGINALLY, BY 0.1 PER CENT. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO AUGUST THE INCREASE WAS 1.7 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS THE INCREASE WAS ONLY 4.6 PER CENT.
FORE IGN CURRENCY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
THE NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF THE MONETARY SECTOR FELL SHARPLY TO $6.8 BILLION AT THE END OF AUGUST, FROM $12.2 BILLION AT THE END OF JULY. STATISTICS COLLECTED ON THE BASIS OF SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS) BY THE COMMISSIONER OF BANKING AND DEPOS IT-TAK ING COMPANIES SHOWED AN EVEN SHARPER DECREASE, OF $9.7 BILLION TO $8.0 BILLION. THIS FALL IN NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES WAS MATCHED BY A REDUCTION IN NET FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS OF THE MONETARY SECTOR, BY $8.8 BILLION TO $28.3 BILLION
LIQUIDITY RATIO
THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S.18 OF THE BANKING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS WAS 49.3 PER CENT, COMPARED WITH 50.8 PER CENT IN JULY.
THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S.24A OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ORDINANCE) FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ALSO FELL SLIGHTLY, TO 46.6 PER CENT FROM 47.5 PER CENT IN JULY.
NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS
THE NUMBER OF OPERATING LICENSED BANKS ROSE BY ONE TO 136, WHILE THE NUMBER OF OPERATING LICENSED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES REMAINED UNCHANGED AT 30. THE NUMBER OF REPORTING REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE BY ONE TO 318.