April 1 (SeeNews) - The foreign exchange reserves held by Romania's central bank, excluding gold, totalled 34.123 billion euro ($37.4 billion) at the end of March, down from 35.830 billion euro a month earlier, the central bank said on Wednesday.
Foreign exchange inflows amounted to 3.252 billion euro representing changes in credit institutions’ foreign currency-denominated required reserves, inflows into the finance ministry accounts, inflows into the European Commission’s account, and other.
Foreign exchange outflows totaled 4.959 billion euro, representing the reduction in credit institutions’ foreign currency-denominated required reserves, interest payments and principal repayments on foreign currency public debt, and other.
February 24–March 23 was the maintenance period during which the decision to cut the minimum reserve requirement ratio on foreign currency-denominated liabilities of credit institutions to 6% from 8% was be implemented.
The gold reserves of the central bank remained unchanged at 103.6 tonnes and were worth 4.883 billion euro at current international prices at the end of March.
The international reserves of Romania, including foreign currencies and gold, totalled 39.006 billion euro as of end-March, compared to 40.752 billion euro a month earlier.
Romania will have to pay approximately 250 million euro on its public and publicly guaranteed foreign currency-denominated debt in April.
($=0.9115 euro)