BNM Detailed Disclosure of International Reserves as at end-July 2019

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In accordance with the IMF SDDS format, the detailed breakdown of international reserves provides forward-looking information on the size, composition and usability of reserves and other foreign currency assets, and the expected and potential future inflows and outflows of foreign exchange of the Federal Government and Bank Negara Malaysia over the next 12-month period.

The detailed breakdown of international reserves based on the SDDS format is shown in Tables I, II, III and IV. As shown in Table I, official reserve assets amounted to USD 103,911.1 million, while other foreign currency assets amounted to USD 216.9 million as at end-July 2019. As shown in Table II, for the next 12 months, the pre-determined short-term outflows of foreign currency loans, securities and deposits, which include among others, scheduled repayment of external borrowings by the Government and repayment arising from maturity of the foreign currency Bank Negara Interbank Bills, amount to USD 6,892.9 million. The short forward positions amounted to USD 12,838.8 million, while long forward positions amounted to USD 160 million as at end-July 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 USD 2,466.8 million in the next 12 months. As shown in Table III, the only contingent short-term net drain on foreign currency assets are Government guarantees of foreign currency debt due within one year, amounting to USD 336.7 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. Bank Negara Malaysia also does not engage in foreign currency options vis-à-vis ringgit.

Overall, the detailed breakdown of international reserves under the IMF SDDS format indicates that as at end-July 2019, Malaysia’s reserves remain usable.

Table I: Official reserves assets and other foreign currency assets
Table II: Predetermined short-term net drains on foreign currency assets
Table III: Contingent short-term net drains on foreign currency assets
Table IV: Memo Items