Bank Negara foreign reserves at US$96bil at end-April

Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's international reserves amounted to US$96.10bil at end-April, which was at the official reserve asset level, says Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

The central bank had in Wednesday's statement on the detailed disclosure of the country's international reserves, said other foreign-currency assets amounted to US$2.09bil as at end-April.

It noted that the pre-determined short-term outflows of foreign-currency loans arising from scheduled repayment of external borrowings by the Government would amount to US$277.9mil. 

"Meanwhile, the short forward positions amounted to US$19.10bil as at end-April 2017, reflecting the management of ringgit liquidity in the financial system," it said, adding that this data excludes the projected foreign-currency inflows arising from interest income and drawdown of project loans amounting to US$2.23bil in the next 12 months.

The data showed 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$130mil.

"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," it said.

The central bank also said that there were no foreign-currency options vis-a-vis ringgit.