XN000022-1990-04-03 — Page 6

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TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 1990

MONETARY STATISTICS FOR FEBRUARY PUBLISHED

BOTH HONG

KONG DOLLAR AND FOREIGN CURRENCY DEPOSITS WITH AUTHORISED INSTITUTIONS INCREASED IN FEBRUARY COMPARED WITH JANUARY, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS PUBLISHED TODAY (TUESDAY) BY THE MONETARY AFFAIRS BRANCH.

BUT REFLECTING THE DECLINE IN CASH HOLDING AFTER THE LUNAR NEW YEAR, HONG KONG DOLLAR MONBY SUPPLY, PARTICULARLY THE NARROWEST DEFINITION, DECREASED DURING FEBRUARY. TOTAL LOANS AND INCREASED DURING THE MONTH.

DEPOSITS

ADVANCES

HONG KONG DOLLAR DEPOSITS WITH AUTHORISED ADJUSTED TO INCLUDE SWAP DEPOSITS, INCREASED BY 0.6 FEBRUARY 1990, FOLLOWING INCREASES OF 1.6 PER CENT AND IN DECEMBER 1989 AND JANUARY 1990 RESPECTIVELY.

INSTITUTIONS, PER CENT IN 0.3 PER CENT

HONG KONG DOLLAR DEMAND AND SAVINGS DEPOSITS DECLINED BY 1.9 PER CENT AND 3.1 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY DURING FEBRUARY, WHILE TIME DEPOSITS ROSE BY 2.9 PER CENT.

DURING THE 12 MONTHS ENDING FEBRUARY, TOTAL HONG KONG DOLLAR DEPOSITS GREW BY 12.7 PER CENT, BROADLY IN LINE WITH THE GROWTH IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES.

FOREIGN CURRENCY DEPOSITS WITH AUTHORISED INSTITUTIONS, ADJUSTED TO EXCLUDE SWAP DEPOSITS, ROSE BY 2.7 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY 1990, AFTER INCREASES OF 2.5 PER CENT AND 3.9

PER CENT IN DECEMBER 1989 AND JANUARY 1990 RESPECTIVELY.

AMONG THESE DEPOSITS, U.S. DOLLAR DEPOSITS DECLINED BY 0.6 PER CENT WHILE NON-U.S. DOLLAR DEPOSITS GREW BY 5. 5 PER CENT. OVER THE YEAR, TOTAL FOREIGN CURRENCY DEPOSITS INCREASED BY 26.9 PER CENT.

DEPOSITS OF ALL CURRENCIES WITH LICENSED BANKS AND RESTRICTED LICENCE BANKS ROSE BY 1.8 PER CENT AND 4.6 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN FEBRUARY AND BY 21.5 PER CENT AND 29.1 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OVER THE YEAR.

ON THE OTHER HAND, DEPOSITS WITH DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES FELL BY 0.6 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY AND BY 12.7 PER CENT OVER THE YEAR.

THE YEAR-ON-YEAR DECLINE REFLECTED, DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF THESE INSTITUTIONS.

AMONG OTHER THINGS, A

/MONEY SUPPLY