BNM international reserves expand to US$107.5 billion

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) international reserves rose to US$107.5 billion (US$1=RM4.57) as of Nov 15, 2022 from US$105.2 billion on Oct 31, 2022.

“The reserves position is sufficient to finance 5.2 months of imports of goods and services and is 1.0 time the total short-term external debt,” the central bank said in a statement.

The main components of the international reserves were foreign currency reserves (US$95.8 billion), International Monetary Fund reserves position (US$1.3 billion), Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) (US$5.5 billion), gold (US$2.1 billion), and other reserve assets (US$2.8 billion).

The assets comprised gold and foreign exchange and other reserves, including SDRs (RM498.75 billion), Malaysian government papers (RM12.36 billion), loans and advances (RM23.64 billion), land and buildings (RM4.14 billion), and other assets (RM59.36 billion).

The central bank said capital and liabilities comprised paid-up capital (RM100 million), reserves (RM160.82 billion), currency in circulation (RM158.58 billion), deposits by financial institutions (RM195.75 billion), federal government deposits (RM5.33 billion), other deposits (RM35.77 billion), Bank Negara papers (RM9.15 billion), allocation of SDRs (RM28.70 billion), and other liabilities (RM4.05 billion). — Bernama