M’sia’s official reserve assets amount to US$101.70 bln as at Oct 31

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s official reserve assets amounted to US$101.70 billion as at end- October 2018, while other foreign currency assets amounted to US$ 52.3 million for the same period, Bank Negara Malaysia said.

Overall, the detailed breakdown of international reserves under the IMF Special Data Dissemination Standard format indicates that as at end- October 2018, Malaysia’s reserves remain usable.

The BNM said for the next 12 months, the predetermined shortterm outflows of foreign currency loans, securities and deposits, which included among others scheduled repayment of external borrowingsbythegovernmentand repayment of maturity proceeds from the foreign currency BNM Interbank Bills amounted to US$ 1.47 billion.

“The short forward positions amounted to USD22.79 billion, reflecting the management of ringgit liquidity in the money market.

“In line with the practice adopted since April 2006, the data exclude projected foreign currency inflows arising from interest income and the drawdown of project loans amounting to US$ 2.53 billion in the next 12 months,” it said.

The central bank said the only contingent short-term net drain on foreign currency assets was government guarantees of foreign currency debt due within one year, amounted to US$ 108.1 million.

There are no foreign currency loans with embedded options, no undrawn, unconditional credit lines provided by or to other central banks, international organisations, banks and other financial institutions.

BNM also does not engage in foreign currency options vis-à-vis ringgit. — Bernama