KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) official reserve assets amounted to US$103.61 billion (RM423.6 billion), while other foreign currency assets stood at US$415.1 million as at end-December 2019.
In a statement today, the central bank said for the next 12 months, the pre-determined short-term outflows of foreign currency loans, securities and deposits would amount to US$4.19 billion.
This included, among others, the scheduled repayment of external borrowings by the government and repayment arising from the maturity of foreign currency Bank Negara Interbank Bills, it said in its “Detailed Disclosure of International Reserves as at end-December 2019” released today.
Meanwhile, the short forward positions amounted to US$13.68 billion as at end-December 2019, reflecting the management of ringgit liquidity in the money market.
“In line with the practice adopted since April 2006, the data excludes projected foreign currency inflows arising from interest income and the drawdown of project loans amounting to US$2.65 billion in the next 12 months,” said the central bank.
Bank Negara pointed out that the only contingent short-term net drain on foreign currency assets were government guarantees of foreign currency debt due within one year, amounting to US$336.6 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. — Bernama
