XN000022-1984-05-04 — Page 8

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FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1984

FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES OF THE MONETARY SECTOR CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN MARCH.

HOWEVER, SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF THE SECTOR GREW FASTER THAN SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS.

AS A RESULT, THE NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF THE MONETARY SECTOR ROSE TO $4.9 BILLION AT THE END OF MARCH FROM $4.1 BILLION AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.

BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES HAD NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF $2.2 BILLION AND $2.7 BILLION RESPECTIVELY.

STATISTICS COLLECTED (ON THE BASIS OF SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS) BY THE COMMISSIONER OF BANKING AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES SHOWED AN INCREASE IN NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF $2.8 BILLION TO $6.3 BILLION IN MARCH. THE SECTOR'S FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY POSITION SHOWS NET ASSETS OF $33.4 BILLION.

LIQUIDITY RATIOS

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S. 18 OF THE BANKING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS ROSE TO 49.3 PER CENT FROM 48.6 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY.

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S. 24 OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ORDINANCES) FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAK ING COMPANIES FELL TO 52.5 PER CENT FROM 54.5 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY,

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS REPORTING MONETARY STATISTICS REMAINED UNCHANGED IN MARCH WITH 134 LICENSED BANKS, 30 LICENSED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES AND 317 REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES.

/TABEL 1 :