The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP149.8 billion (USD18.73 billion) at the end of February 2010. The reserves rose by 1.5% from MOP147.5 billion (USD18.43 billion) for the previous month. When compared with a year earlier, the reserves increased by MOP18.2 billion or 13.8%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-February 2010 represented 30 times the currency in circulation or 242.1% of Pataca M2 at end-January 2010.

The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca, a gauge of the domestic currency’s exchange rates against the currencies of Macao’s major trading partners, rose by 0.85 points month-to-month but fell by 2.97 points year-on-year to 90.28 in February 2010.

For enquiry, please contact:

Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)

發放日期 / Data de divulgação / Release Date: 22/3/2010