Malaysia’s reserves remain usable

KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s reserves as at end-August 2017 remain usable as indicated by the detailed breakdown of Malaysia’s international reserves under the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard.

In a statement yesterday, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said, the official reserve assets amounted to US$100.52 billion (US$1=RM4.22) as at end- August while other foreign currency assets amounted to US$1.24 billion.

For the next 12 months, it said the pre-determined short-term outflows of foreign currency loans arising from scheduled repayment of external borrowings by the government would amount to US$267.6 million.

Meanwhile, as at end-August, short forward positions amounted to US$15.69 billion, reflecting the management of ringgit liquidity in the financial system.

In line with the practice adopted since April 2006, the data excluded projected foreign currency inflows arising from interest income and the drawdown of project loans amounting to US$2.44 billion in the next 12 months, it added.

BNM pointed out that the only contingent short-term net drain on foreign currency assets were government guarantees of foreign debt due within one year, amounting to US$187.4 million.

The central bank said there were no foreign currency loans with embedded options, and no undrawn, unconditional credit lines provided by or to other central banks, international organisations, banks and other financial institutions, adding that it does not engage in foreign currency options, vis-à-vis ringgit. — Bernama