XN000022-1983-06-03 — Page 4

FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 1983

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LOANS TO FINANCE VISIBLE TRADE OF HONG KONG, WHICH ARE MOSTLY IN HONG KONG DOLLARS, REVERSED THE DECLINES IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH TO RISE SUBSTANTIALLÝ, BY 3.8 PER CENT. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO APRIL, THE INCREASE WAS 2.6 PER CENT AND OVER THE TWELVE MONTHS, THE INCREASE WAS 11.6 PER CENT. OTHER LOANS FOR USE IN HONG KONG WERE LITTLE CHANGED IN APRIL, FOLLOWING AN INCREASE OF 1.3 PER CENT IN MARCH.

OVER THE THREE MONTHS, THE NET INCREASE WAS 2.6 PER CENT AND OVER THE TWELVE MONTHS, 20.4 PER CENT.

FOREIGN CURRENCY POSITIONS

THERE WERE INCREASES IN BOTH THE SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES AND ASSETS OF THE MONETARY SECTOR IN APRIL.

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SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES INCREASED FROM $20.8 BILLION AT THE END OF MARCH TO $23.9 BILLION AT THE END OF APRIL, WITHIN WHICH BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES HAD NET LIABILITIES OF $15.9 BILLION AND $8 BILLION RESPECTIVELY.

STATISTICS COLLECTED (ON THE BASIS OF SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS) BY THE COMMISSIONER OF BANKING AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES SHOW THAT THE MONETARY SECTOR HAD, AT THE END OF APRIL, NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES AMOUNTING TO $23.6 BILLION, WHICH WERE MORE THAN COVERED BY NET FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS OF $44.8 BILLION.

LIQUIDITY RATIOS

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S. 18 OF THE BANKING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS ROSE IN APRIL TO 47 PER CENT FROM 45.2 PER CENT IN MARCH. THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S. 24A OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ORDINANCE) FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE TO 62.3 PER CENT FROM 58.3 PER CENT IN MARCH.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

130.

THE NUMBER OF REPORTING LICENSED BANKS INCREASED BY TWO TO THE NUMBER OF LICENSED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES INCREASED BY ONE TO 22, AND THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES WAS UNCHANGED, AT 335.

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