XN000022-1981-01-09 — Page 4

سا

-

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1981

FOREIGN ASSETS

THE NET IDENTIFIABLE FOREIGN ASSETS OF ALL BANKS FELL IN NOVEMBER BY $4 699 MILLION, WHILE THOSE OF DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE BY $1 928 MILLION, SUGGESTING AN OUTFLOW OF FUNDS FROM THE HONG KONG MONETARY SECTOR OF $2 771 MILLION, AS COMPARED WITH AN OUTFLOW OF $1 782 MILLION IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

BALANCE SHEET RATIOS

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO FOR ALL BANKS IN HONG KONG ROSE IN NOVEMBER TO 48.2 PER CENT FROM 46.8 PER CENT IN OCTOBER. THE LOAN/ DEPOSIT RATIO ALSO ROSE TO 104.7 PER CENT AT THE END OF NOVEMBER FROM 97.6 PER CENT AT THE END OF OCTOBER, REFLECTING THE RAPID GROWTH IN BANK LENDING DURING THE MONTH.

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES FELL IN NOVEMBER TO 46.6 PER CENT FROM 47.9 PER CENT IN OCTOBER. THE LOAN/DEPOSIT RATIO FELL FURTHER TO 73.5 PER CENT AT THE END OF NOVEMBER FROM 76.1 PER CENT AT THE END OF OCTOBER, REFLECTING THE SHARP INCREASE IN DEPOSITS WITH DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES DURING THE MONTH.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF REPORTING BANKS WAS UNCHANGED IN NOVEMBER AT 113. TWO MORE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES BEGAN TO REPORT DURING THE MONTH, BRINGING THEIR TOTAL TO 300.

TUEN MUN ON WAY TO BECOMING A CITY

*****

THIS YEAR WILL SEE TUEN MUN ON THE ROAD TO BECOMING A CITY THAT WILL MAKE AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG.

THIS WAS SAID TODAY BY TUEN MUN PROJECT MANAGER, MR STAN BARDEN, WHEN HE, AND THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR BILLY LAM, GAVE A DETAILED BRIEFING TO LOCAL DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN BUILDING THE NEW TOWN.

THE OCCASION WAS THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF AN $85 000 PAVILION WHICH COMMANDS A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE GROWING +CITY+.

THE PAVILION, NAMED TSING SHAN PAVILION, WAS COMPLETED IN JANUARY, 1980, AND HAS SINCE BECOME A FAVOURITE SPOT FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS.

MR BARDEN