Wednesday, May 2 2012 19:21
Monetary base in Armenia up 1.9% to $1.4 bln over March 2012
ArmInfo. Monetary base in Armenia was up 1.9% to 553.7 bln AMD (1.4 bln USD) by 1 April 2012 for September 2009. Preliminary data of the Armenian Central Bank provided by the National Statistical Service of Armenia say that monetary base grew by 9.3% versus March 2011 and declined by 17.5% over Q1 2012.
In the structure of monetary base, cash circulating outside the Central Bank grew by 0.5% over March and totaled 361.5 bln AMD by 1 April 2012 (15.7% y-o-y decline and 9.3% quarterly decline). The share of compulsory dram reserves in total monetary base made up 27.6% or 152.8 billion drams (0.4% growth for March, 37.1% y-o-y growth, and 6.3% quarterly decline). The share of compulsory foreign exchange reserves totaled 5.7% of total or 31.9 billion drams (27.2% decline for March, 68.9% decline over Q1, and 61.2% y-o-y decline).
The source reported that external reserves (exclusive of privatization funds) was down 4.7% for March 2012 to 365.4 billion drams (0.6% down for Q1 and 13.2% down versus March 2011). Internal assets totaled 188.3 billion drams by 1 April 2012 (4.8% growth for March 2012, 2-fold growth versus March 2011, 10.8% decline over Q1 2012).
In the structure of internal assets, the share of the Government was fixed at negative 82.1 bln AMD (7.1% decline for March 2012, 10.8% y-o-y decline and 23% growth over Q1). The share of banks in total internal assets was 98 billion drams (0.8% decline for March 2012, 45.7% y-o-y growth, 28.5% decline over Q1 2012). REPO transactions grew by 76.8% for March 2012 to 11.5 bln AMD (over 2-fold growth versus March 2011, 75.1% decline over Q1 2012).
