BNM’s international reserves increased to US$125.6 billion as of January 15, 2026 KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) international reserves increased to US$125.6 billion as of Jan 15, 2026 from US$125.5 billion as of Dec 31, 2025. The central bank said the reserve position was sufficient to finance 4.7 months of imports of goods and services and was equivalent to 0.9 times the total short-term external debt. “The main components of the reserves consist of foreign currency reserves (US$110.4 billion), International Monetary Fund (IMF) reserves (US$1.3 billion), special drawing rights (SDR) (US$5.9 billion), gold (US$5.5 billion) and other reserve assets (US$2.5 billion),” he said in a statement today. According to the central […]

BNM’s international reserves increased to US$125.6 billion as of January 15, 2026 #BankNegaraMalaysia #InternationalReserves #Finance #EconomicGrowth #Malaysia

BNM’s international reserves at US$124.1 billion as of November 14 KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) international reserves stood at US$124.1 billion as of Nov 14, 2025 compared to US$123.8 billion recorded as of Oct 31, 2025. The central bank, in a statement today, said the reserve position was sufficient to finance 4.8 months of imports of goods and services and 0.9 times the total short-term external debt. The main components of reserves include foreign currency (US$109.6 billion), International Monetary Fund reserves (US$1.3 billion), special drawing rights (SDRs) (US$5.9 billion), gold (US$4.8 billion) and other reserve assets (US$2.5 billion). Total assets were RM617.78 billion, consisting of gold and foreign exchange […]

BNM’s international reserves at US$124.1 billion as of November 14 #BankNegaraMalaysia #InternationalReserves #MalaysiaEconomy #ForexReserves #EconomicStability

Bank of Namibia reports decrease in international reserves - Namibia Economist Bank of Namibia reports decrease in international reserves  Namibia Economist

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International reserves decrease to N$58.1 billion Chamwe Kaira The Bank of Namibia’s stock of international reserves fell by 2.6% to N$58.1 billion at the end of July.  The decline was mainly driven by higher net rand outflows from commercial banks for portfolio investment abroad. “This level of international reserves translates into 3.8 months of import cover, whereas the import cover excluding oil exploration and appraisal activities stood at 4.3 months,” the central bank said. Commercial banks’ overall cash balances declined to an average of N$5.8 billion in July, down from N$6.1 billion in June.  The reduction was largely due to corporate tax payments due at the end of June, the bank said. Annual growth in mortgage credit stood at 0.00% in July, compared to a contraction of 0.3% in June.  “Although mortgage credit uptake by households increased by 0.8% in July from a growth rate of 0.5% recorded in the previous month, the increase was offset by the contraction in the growth of mortgage credit extended to businesses, which remained in negative territory in July,” the central bank said. Growth in instalment sale and leasing credit slowed slightly, recording 17% in July compared to 17.4% in June.  “The slightly lower growth was due to lower uptake by businesses during the month under review. The lower growth in instalment sale and leasing credit was further reflected in the month-on-month drop in passenger vehicle sales observed in July,” the central bank said. Annual growth in other loans and advances rose to 8.6% in July from 8.3% in June.  “The marginal uptick in growth stemmed from an increase in the uptake by businesses during the period under review,” the bank said. Overdraft lending growth declined in July but remained in double digits at 14.9%, compared to 17.4% in June.  “The lower growth observed in overdraft credit was mainly due to repayments by businesses in the manufacturing as well as wholesale and retail sectors. Meanwhile, growth in household overdrafts remained in negative territory for consecutive months,” the bank said. Household credit rose moderately to 2.7% in July, up from 2.4% in June, driven by mortgage loans and instalment sale and leasing credit.  However, growth in household overdraft credit and other loans and advances declined during the month, the bank added.

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Reserves increase by 3.8% to N$59.6 billion Chamwe Kaira  The Bank of Namibia’s international reserves increased by 3.8% to N$59.6 billion at the end of June.  This rise was mainly driven by net inflows from commercial banks and customer foreign currency (CFC) placements. The reserves cover 3.9 months of imports, or 4.8 months excluding oil exploration and appraisal activities. Namibia’s banking industry cash balances fell further in June. Commercial banks held N$6.1 billion in cash, down from N$8.5 billion in May, primarily due to corporate tax payments made at the end of the month. Growth in broad money supply slowed in June. Annual growth in M2 decreased to 7.6%, down from 8.1% in May.  This slowdown was driven by a drop in domestic claims, particularly net claims on the central government. However, annual growth in net foreign assets increased, offset by the reduced growth in domestic claims. Private sector credit extension (PSCE) grew annually by 5.7% in June, reaching N$120.1 billion, the highest growth since March 2020.  This growth reflected increased business demand for loans, especially in other loans and advances, overdrafts, and instalment sales and leasing. Overdraft lending saw an annual growth of 17.4% in June, up from 6% in May. This increase came from higher uptake by corporates in the real estate sector for property acquisitions and in the manufacturing sector to support consumer demand.  Instalment sale and leasing credit also grew, rising to 17.4% in June from 13.8% in May. Both businesses and households contributed to this growth, which was reflected in the higher number of vehicles sold during June. Mortgage credit remained negative for the third consecutive month, with an annual decline of -0.3% in June, compared to -0.2% in May.  The contraction was due to higher repayments by corporates, write-offs, and weak demand for mortgages from households.

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Bank of Namibia records 6.6% increase in stock of international reserves - Namibia Economist Bank of Namibia records 6.6% increase in stock of international reserves  Namibia Economist

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Namibia has 3.9 months of import cover CHAMWE KAIRA  The Bank of Namibia’s stock of international reserves decreased at the end of March and stood at N$59.7 billion, reflecting a month-on-month decrease of 7.4%. The central bank stated that the government’s rising imports and foreign payments primarily drove the monthly decrease in reserves. This level of international reserves translated into 3.9 months of import cover. When excluding oil exploration and appraisal activities, which are mainly financed from abroad, the import cover stood at 4.8 months of imports, the central bank said. Cash balances in the overall banking industry remained robust at N$9.4 billion in March 2025, relative to N$9.9 billion recorded in February 2025. The decrease was mainly attributable to outflows for foreign payments during the review period. Annual growth in mortgage credit recorded zero growth in March relative to the 0.5% growth recorded in February. Growth in mortgage credit remains relatively subdued, resulting from lower uptake by both households and businesses. Annual growth in installment sales and lease credits rose in March. Growth in instalment sales and leasing credit rose to 17.1% in March compared to 15.7% in the previous month. This growth was supported by increased uptake by both businesses and households, the central bank said. Growth in other loans and advances increased in March. The annual growth in other loans and advances stood at 12% in March, higher than the 8.9% recorded in February. “The increase was due to uptake by corporations in the manufacturing and energy sectors,” the central bank said. Growth in overdraft lending recorded an increase in March. The average growth stood at 0.8 per cent in March, following a contraction that lasted for 13 consecutive months, since February 2024, as a result of higher net repayments by businesses. “The positive growth emanated from increased uptake by businesses in the mining and financial sectors during the review period.” Growth in household credit inched higher in March. The annual growth in credit extended to households stood at 2.8% in March, relative to 2.6% in February. “The slight uptick in growth emanated from increased uptake in the form of instalment sales and leasing credit.” Annual growth in business credit reached its pre-pandemic levels in March, with credit extended to businesses growing by 8.2% in March, relative to 5.9% recorded in February. “This is the highest annual growth recorded for business credit since December 2019 and was mainly attributed to uptake in the categories of other loans and advances and overdrafts, as well as instalment and leasing by corporations in the mining, energy, tourism, manufacturing, and financial sectors.”

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International reserves at N$59.7 billion amid global headwinds The Bank of Namibia (BoN) says international stock reserves are strong enough to sustain Namibia’s currency against other currencies despite heightened global tensions. The stock of international reserves stood at N$59.7 billion as at the end of March, which is lower compared to N$64.3 billion recorded at the end of January. The decline was due to rising imports and government payments. “This level of foreign reserves translates to an estimated import cover of 3.9 months, which is deemed adequate to sustain the currency peg between the Namibia dollar and the South African rand and to meet the country’s international financial obligations. “It is also above the international benchmark of a country’s foreign reserves holdings of three months,” BoN governor Johannes !Gawaxab said yesterday. The repo rate is maintained at 6.75%. The decision taken by the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) is aimed at safeguarding the peg between the Namibia dollar and the South African rand, while supporting the domestic economy amid heightened global policy uncertainty. !Gawaxab said the decision was reached following a comprehensive review of current and expected domestic, regional and global economic developments. Private sector credit extension (PSCE) remained subdued and unchanged at 3.8% since the previous MPC meeting. Prime lending rates are expected to remain at 10.50% by commercial banks. “We are facing uncertain times and turbulence, and trade tariffs will directly and indirectly impact Namibia and the global economy,” !Gawaxab said. He said real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at a solid pace of 3.7% in 2024, compared to 4.4% in 2023, while the merchandise trade deficit narrowed at N$4.6 billion. Since the start of April this year, the Namibia dollar’s exchange rate against major currencies has, on balance, depreciated primarily due to elevated global uncertainty following the escalation in global trade tensions. The most recent levels of the exchange rate, !Gawxab said, are also weaker than those at the previous meeting as uncertainty remains elevated. The inflation rate has edged up to 4.2% in March 2025, compared to 3.2% recorded in January 2025, driven by housing, food, transport, and alcoholic beverages. !Gawaxab said the average inflation forecasts for both 2025 and 2026 have been revised upwards to 4.2% and 4.5%, respectively, compared to previous forecasts of 4.0% and 4.4%. The upward revision is primarily due to a weaker exchange rate and higher administered price assumptions. The post International reserves at N$59.7 billion amid global headwinds appeared first on The Namibian.

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