Analytical Accounts of Exchange Fund
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released today (May 14) the key analytical accounts of the Exchange Fund at the end of April 2026.
Foreign assets, representing the external assets of the Exchange Fund, increased during the month by HK$84.4 billion to HK$3,655.0 billion.
The Monetary Base, comprising Certificates of Indebtedness, Government-issued currency notes and coins in circulation, the balance of the banking system and Exchange Fund Bills and Notes issued, amounted to HK$2,072.2 billion.
Claims on the private sector in Hong Kong amounted to HK$378.5billion.
Foreign liabilities amounted to HK$93.1 billion.
The analytical accounts of the Exchange Fund are released in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) and are referred to as the Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank under SDDS (Annex).
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At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's SDDS. The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of May 2026, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
May 7
(Issued) |
SDDS International Reserves
(Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures) |
May 14 |
SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank
(Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund) |
May 29 |
SDDS Template on International Reserves and
Foreign Currency Liquidity |
May 29 |
Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and
Currency Board Account |
Source: AI-found images
Approved pedestrian links in Ngau Chi Wan to enhance district accessibility and walkability
The Development Bureau (DEVB) announced today (May 14) that the Chief Executive (CE) in Council has approved an application to provide pedestrian links in Ngau Chi Wan (location plan at Annex), waiving the land premium payable, exempting the additional gross floor area of about 334 square metres and approving the proposed opening hours of the relevant public pedestrian links.
The abovementioned application is the ninth application approved by the CE in Council under the scheme of Facilitating Provision of Pedestrian Links by the Private Sector, endorsed in 2015. The scheme encourages developers through premium waivers to finance the design, construct and manage footbridges or subways linking to public transport facilities or public pedestrian linkage systems, bringing both tangible and intangible social value through creating a comfortable, all-weather walking environment to facilitate and encourage public travel, and increasing the footfalls for nearby businesses.
A DEVB spokesperson said that the application is proposed by the developer of the private composite residential-and-commercial development under construction at 35 Clear Water Bay Road. In addition to the requirement under lease to construct a pedestrian footbridge to connect the development to Choi Wan (I) Estate uphill, the applicant proposed to provide a more comprehensive pedestrian network in the Ngau Chi Wan area. These include providing a public pedestrian subway at B2/F of the integrated podium of the composite residential-and-commercial development to connect to the Choi Hung MTR Station, and via the development, will connect Choi Wan (I) Estate and nearby public facilities to Choi Hung MTR Station; and providing openings at B1/F and 7/F of the integrated podium to receive connections from the future Choi Hung East Station of the Smart and Green Mass Transit System in East Kowloon and Ping Ting Road East extension respectively.
The spokesperson added that the subject lot is situated at the heart of the Ngau Chi Wan area, where a number of large public housing estates are in the vicinity. The community was developed in earlier years, with relatively narrow pavements and slopes. At present, residents living uphill, including those in Choi Wan (I) Estate, have to walk along outdoor sloping roads or staircases, or take short-distance minibuses, to reach Choi Hung MTR Station, the nearby market and public facilities. This is particularly undesirable for elderly persons, people commuting with children, and mobility impaired persons.
The proposed pedestrian facilities, together with the facilities originally required under the lease, will significantly enhance the connectivity and create a more comfortable walking environment in the Ngau Chi Wan area. Specifically, it will enable the public to travel more conveniently between Choi Hung MTR Station, Choi Wan (I) Estate and the special school on Ping Ting Road East, public facilities in the vicinity of the development including medical, elderly care facilities and a wet market, as well as the future Choi Hung East Station of the East Kowloon Smart Green Mass Transit System. It is estimated that a total of about 100 000 residents and the working population from both new and existing developments in the area will benefit. The project is also expected to bring more pedestrian flows to nearby restaurants and businesses, thereby boosting the local economy.
The applicant will be required to shoulder the design, construction, management and maintenance responsibilities and related costs of the barrier-free pedestrian links, and be open for public in accordance with the approved scheme. For regulatory purposes, these requirements will be incorporated into the land documents. For this case, noting that some connection points (including Choi Hung MTR Station and the future Choi Hung East Station) do not operate round-the-clock, the CE in Council approved the opening hours of the relevant pedestrian links connecting the two stations to be aligned with the operating hours of the abovementioned railway facilities, while the remaining pedestrian facilities will continue to be open 24 hours for public use.
Source: AI-found images
