/IRBIS, Dec.20, 99/ - The National Bank of Kazakhstan informs that gross gold and currency reserves of Kazakhstan reached $1,882.6 mln in current prices as of December 19, 1999 compared with $1,838.1 mln as of December 10, 1999.

Net gold and currency reserves of Kazakhstan as of December 19 at $1,403.2 mln, $1,357.5 mln increase from December 10.

National Bank informs that "$44.5 mln increase in international reserves was due to growth in currency reserves by $44.0 mln (mainly by purchases in domestic currency market) and gold reserves by $0.5 mln".

Following is the table which shows international reserves of the National Bank of Kazakhstan and the monetary base as of December 19, 1999, and contains data for December 10:

In current prices In real terms* ---------------------- ---------------------- Dec.19, 99 Dec.10, 99 Dec.19, 99 Dec.10, 99

----------------------------- ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
Gross international           
reserves, mln USD                1,882.6     1,838.1     1,896.3     1,852.2
including:                                
  assets in hard currency        1,379.6     1,335.6     1,379.6     1,335.6
  gold                             503.0       502.5       516.7       516.6
Net international 
reserves, mln USD **             1,403.2     1,357.5     1,416.9     1,371.6
Money base, bln tenge              106.1        98.7       106.1        98.7
USD/KZT(at the end of period)     138.25      138.35        83.8        83.8
Price of gold (for 1 troy 
ounce, USD)                       279.85      279.60      287.45      287.45
----------------------------- ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

* Price of gold is shown for the end of 1998 ($287.45 per 1 troy ounce);
** Net international reserves is a difference between gross reserves and liabilities in hard currency.