FCDU lending increased in Q3 2023

Outstanding loans granted by Foreign Currency Deposit Units (FCDU) of banks stood at US$15.5 billion as of end-September 2023, an increase of US$109 million or by 0.7 percent from the end-June 2023 level of US$15.4 billion as disbursements exceeded principal repayments.

Year-on-year, outstanding FCDU loans decreased by about US$164 million or by 1.0 percent from the end-September 2022 level of US$15.7 billion.

As of end-September 2023, the maturity profile of the FCDU loan portfolio remained predominantly medium- to long-term [or those payable over a term of more than one (1) year], which comprised 77.6 percent of total, slightly lower than 78.3 percent from the previous quarter.

FCDU loans granted to residents stood at US$9.4 billion or 60.6 percent of total outstanding FCDU loans, of which majority went to the following sector/industries: power generation companies (US$2.4 billion or 25.3 percent); merchandise and service exporters (US$2.3 billion or 24.5 percent); and towing, tanker, trucking, forwarding, personal and other industries (US$1.3 billion or 13.5 percent).

Gross disbursements in the third quarter of 2023 reached US$17.1 billion higher by 18.8 percent than the previous quarter’s US$14.4 billion mainly due to the increase in funding requirements of a foreign bank branch affiliate.

Similarly, loan repayments in the reference quarter of US$17.0 billion were 17.4 percent higher than previous quarter’s US$14.4 billion. These resulted in overall net disbursement.

FCDU deposit liabilities reached an all-time high of US$51.8 billion as of end-September 2023, higher by about US$2.8 billion (or by 5.7 percent) from the end-June 2023 level of US$49.0 billion.

The bulk of these deposits (US$50.4 billion or 97.3 percent) continued to be owned by residents, essentially constituting an additional buffer to the country’s gross international reserves.

Year-on-year, FCDU deposit liabilities increased by US$6.0 billion (or by 13.2 percent) from the end-September 2022 level of US$45.8 billion.