Net gold and foreign exchange reserves of National Bank of Kazakhstan in current prices totaled $13,706.1 m. as of June 15, 2006

/IRBIS, Natalya Khoroshevskaya, June 16, 06/ - The National Bank of Kazakhstan spread press release, which says, that net international reserves (GFER) of the National bank excluding money of the National Fund of the Republic of Kazakhstan in current prices decreased in first half of June 2006 by 2.3% and totaled $13,706.1 m. Press release notes that conducting operations on replenishments of assets of the National Fund and servicing of foreign debt of the Ministry of Finance resulted in decreasing of net currency reserves by $158.0 m. Assets in gold decreased by $166.8 m. as a result of its price fall on the world markets by 13.3%. The country's international reserves as a whole (in current prices), i.e. including money of the National Fund (by preliminary data $8,769.1 m.), decreased relative to the previous month by 1.2% to $22,479.3 m. as of June 15 of the current year. Fall of net international reserves of the National Bank in June 2006 caused grasp of monetary base by 6.0% or by KZT62.9 bn. Data about the dynamics of the National Bank's international reserves and monetary base (current prices) are given below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ as of as of as of Indicator June 15, 06 May 31, 06 May. 15, 06 ---------------------------------- ----------- ---------- ----------- Net international reserves, $m 13,706.1 14,030.9 13,857.2 including: net assets in hard currency* 12,615.5 12,773.5 12,461.6 gold 1,090.6 1,257.4 1,395.6 Monetary base, KZT bn. 978.9 1,041.6 1,095.9 KZT/USD (at the end of the period) 119.29 121.48 121.75 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * net assets in hard currency is the difference between gross assets and liabilities in hard currency [2006-06-16]