Table H8 International reserves and foreign currency liquidity
International reserves and foreign currency liquidity are shown in accordance with a Template on international reserves and foreign currency liquidity, drawn up by the IMF. A detailed explanation of the Template is given in International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity – Guidelines for a Data Template, 2013.
The first part of the Template shows total assets of the Croatian National Bank in convertible foreign currency. Official reserve assets (IA) show those types of assets that are readily available to the CNB at any moment for bridging imbalances in international payments. Official international reserves include: short-term foreign negotiable debt securities, foreign cash, foreign currency sight deposits, foreign currency time deposits which can be withdrawn before maturity, foreign currency time deposits with a remaining maturity of up to 1 year, reserve position with the IMF, special drawing rights, gold, and reverse repos with foreign negotiable debt securities.
The second part of the Template shows fixed predetermined foreign currency net liabilities of the Croatian National Bank and the central government that fall due in the next 12 months. Foreign currency loans, securities and deposits (II1) include future interest payments on banks’ foreign currency reserve requirements with the CNB (only interest payments for the next month are included), payments of future maturities of foreign currency CNB bills, future principal and interest payments on loans from the IMF, and future principal and interest payments on the central government’s foreign currency debts. Aggregate short and long positions in forwards and futures in foreign currencies (II2) include future collections (+) or payments (–) arising from currency swaps between the CNB and domestic banks (temporary sale or purchase of foreign currency). Item Other (II3) includes future payments arising from repo transactions with foreign negotiable debt securities.
The third part of the Template shows predetermined contingent foreign currency net liabilities of the Croatian National Bank and the central government, which fall due in the following 12 months. Contingent liabilities in foreign currency (III1) include future principal and interest payments on foreign loans guaranteed by the central government, and banks’ foreign currency reserve requirements with the CNB. (The inclusion of reserve requirements in foreign currency is based on the assumption that there will be no changes in ratios or in the base of foreign currency reserve requirements, which comprises foreign currency sources of funds, including ordinary foreign currency accounts, special foreign currency accounts, foreign currency accounts and foreign currency sight deposits, received foreign currency deposits and received foreign currency loans, as well as obligations arising from securities issued in foreign currency (excluding banks’ equity securities) and hybrid and subordinated instruments). Undrawn credit lines show potential inflows (+) or outflows (–) which would arise from drawdowns under these credits.
The fourth part of the Template lists memo items. Short-term, domestic currency debt indexed to foreign currency (IV(a)) shows obligations arising from the Act on Converting Households’ Foreign Currency Deposits into the Public Debt of the Republic of Croatia, which fall due in the next 12 months. Pledged assets (IV(c)) show time deposits in foreign currency with a maturity over 3 months listed in item IB which are also used as collateral. Repo transactions with securities show the value of collateral that is subject to repo and reverse repo transactions with securities as well as how these transactions are registered in the Template.
As of January 2023, after the Republic of Croatia joined the euro area, the national currency kuna was exchanged for the euro. Therefore, the first part of the Template shows total foreign currency assets of the CNB, i.e. the assets in a currency other than the euro. The foreign currency assets shown in the first part of the Template are divided into two sections. Section IA shows the total foreign currency assets of the CNB by non-euro area counterparties, accounting for international reserves. Section IB shows other foreign currency assets of the CNB, which include foreign currency claims towards euro area counterparties.
Also, from January 2023, the Template does not include the items related to the central government in accordance with the definition of the reserve assets of the euro area.
