"Foreign exchange reserves at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010 stood at US$96.2 billion enough to finance imports and foreign debt payments for 7 months," the central bank said in a statement on Wednesday.
The surplus was contributed by current account and capital and financial account.
The fourth-quarter current account saw a surplus of US$1.2 billion or 0.7 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) owing to the positive performance of balance of trade in the non-oil/non-gas sector and the gas sector and of current transfer.
The statement said a surplus in the balance of trade rose thanks to the high growth of non-oil/non-gas exports, particularly natural resource-based commodities in line with growing demand and high prices in the global market.
Yet the surplus of the current account fell slightly from the previous quarter due to payment of rising fees on transportation services and production sharing to foreign investors in line with rising imports and foreign capital inflows.
In the meantime, the surplus of capital and financial account increased to US$9.9 billion.
Foreign capital inflows rose significantly thanks to the improving investment climate and stable macro economic condition, the statement said.(*)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
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