XN000022-1983-03-07 — Page 6

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MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1983

LOANS AND ADVANCES

LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED BY BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAK ING COMPANIES GREW BY 1.4 PER CENT AFTER A GROWTH OF 1.3 PER CENT IN DECEMBER. OVER THE THREE MONTHS TO JANUARY, THE GROWTH RATE WAS 3.6 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS TO JANUARY 28.2 PER CENT. LOANS TO FINANCE HONG KONG'S VISIBLE TRADE GREW BY A MARGINAL 0.2 PER CENT AFTER A FOUR PER CENT INCREASE IN DECEMBER. OVER THE THREE MONTHS, THE INCREASE WAS 3.7 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS 17.5 PER CENT. OTHER LOANS FOR USE IN HONG KONG GREW BY 1.8 PER CENT, COMPARED WITH THE ONE PER CENT RISE IN DECEMBER. OVER THE THREE MONTHS THE INCREASE WAS 3.8 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS 29.7 PER CENT.

FOREIGN CURRENCY POSITIONS

THERE WERE INCREASES OF $5.8 BILLION TO $571.3 BILLION IN THE SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF THE MONETARY SECTOR AND $7.2 BILLION TO $553.5 BILLION IN THE SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS IN JANUARY. THUS. NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF THE MONETARY SECTOR DECREASED TO $17.8 BILLION AT THE END OF JANUARY FROM $19.3 BILLION AT THE END OF DECEMBER. BANKS HAD NET LIABILITIES OF $10.5 BILLION AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES HAD NET LIABILITIES OF $7.3 BILLION,

STATISTICS COLLECTED FOR PRUDENTIAL SUPERVISION PURPOSES BY THE COMMISSIONER OF BANKING AND OF DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES SHOW THAT AT THE END OF JANUARY, THE MONETARY SECTOR HAD NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF $18.2 BILLION (THIS FIGURE DIFFERS FROM THAT IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH BECAUSE OF MINOR DIFFERENCES IN DEFINITION). THIS WAS MORE THAN COVERED BY A NET FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSET POSITION OF $37.1 BILLION.

LIQUIDITY RATIOS

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S.18 OF THE BANKING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS IN JANUARY WAS 45.6 PER CENT, SLIGHTLY BELOW THE 47.2 PER CENT IN DECEMBER. THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S.24A OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ORDINANCE) FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES DECLINED TO 55.5 PER CENT IN JANUARY FROM 57.3 PER CENT IN DECEMBER.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF REPORTING LICENSED BANKS REMAINED AT 128. THE NUMBER OF REPORTING LICENSED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES INCREASED BY THREE TO 21 WHILE THE NUMBER OF REPORTING REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES DECREASED BY SEVEN TO 336.

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