XN000022-1983-04-07 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1983

LOANS AND ADVANCES

TOTAL LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED BY BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE BY 0.7 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY AFTER A 1.4 PER CENT RISE IN JANUARY. OVER THREE MONTHS, THE GROWTH RATE WAS 3.5 PER CENT, AND OVER 12 MONTHS 25.9 PER CENT, LOANS TO FINANCE HONG KONG'S VISIBLE TRADE FELL BY A MARGINAL 0.2 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY, BUT RECORDED GROWTH OF 3.9 PER CENT OVER THREE MONTHS AND 16.1 PER CENT OVER 12 MONTHS. OTHER LOANS FOR USE IN HONG KONG GREW BY 1.3 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY- OVER THREE MONTHS THE GROWTH RATE WAS 4.1 PER CENT AND OVER 12 MONTHS 26.8 PER CENT.

FOREIGN CURRENCY POSITION

THERE WERE SLIGHT DECREASES IN BOTH THE MONETARY SECTOR'S SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES IN FEBRUARY. THE SECTOR AS A WHOLE RECORDED AN INCREASE IN NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES, FROM $17.9 BILLION IN JANUARY TO $19.0 BILLION IN FEBRUARY. BANKS HAD NET LIABILITIES OF $11.8 BILLION AND DEPOSIT-TAXING COMPANIES HAD NET LIABILITIES OF $7.2 BILLION.

STATISTICS COLLECTED (ON THE BASIS OF SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS) BY THE COMMISSIONER OF BANKING AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES SHOW THAT AT THE END OF FEBRUARY THE MONETARY SECTOR HAD NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF $18.5 BILLION, AND NET FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS OF $38.1 BILLION.

LIQUIDITY RATIOS

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S.18 OF THE BANKING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS DECLINED FURTHER IN FEBRUARY TO 43.9 PER CENT FROM 45.6 PER CENT IN JANUARY. THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN $.24A OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ORDINANCE) FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE TO 60 PER CENT FROM 55.5 PER CENT IN JANUARY.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF REPORTING LICENSED BANKS AND LICENSED DEPOSIT- TAKING COMPANIES REMAINED UNCHANGED AT 128 AND 21 RESPECTIVELY. THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES, HOWEVER, DECREASED BY 1 TO 325.

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