KUALA LUMPUR (July 29): The pre-determined short-term outflows of foreign currency loans, securities and deposits, which include scheduled repayment of external borrowings by the Government and the maturity of foreign currency Bank Negara Interbank Bills, amount to US$8.15 billion (about RM36.26 billion) over the next 12 months, said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

Projected foreign currency inflows amount to US$2.12 billion in the next 12 months, it added.

In a statement on Friday (July 29), the central bank said the detailed breakdown of international reserves is based on the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (IMF SDDS) format, which 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 BNM over the next 12-month period.

In line with the practice adopted since April 2006, BNM said the data excludes projected foreign currency inflows arising from interest income and the drawdown of project loans.

It said the only contingent short-term net drain on foreign currency assets are government guarantees of foreign currency debt due within one year, amounting to US$401.6 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.

"Bank Negara Malaysia also does not engage in foreign currency options vis-à-vis ringgit," it added.

The short forward positions which amounted to US$14 billion as at end-June 2022 reflect the management of ringgit liquidity in the money market, BNM concluded.

On top of that, Malaysia's official reserve assets amounted to US$109.03 billion as of end-June 2022, while other foreign currency assets stood at US$5.9 million during the same period, BNM noted.