The Central Bank of Malta is publishing an enhanced data template for International Reserves, namely “International Reserves/Foreign Currency Liquidity” in compliance with the requirements of the International Monetary Funds’s Special Data Dissemination Standard operational guidelines.

The country’s official international reserves refer to those external assets that are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities (Central Bank of Malta) and the central government (including extra budgetary units) for direct financing of payment imbalances (BPM5).

From 2008, official reserve assets correspond to the Eurosystem definition of reserves which excludes holdings denominated in euro and/or vis-à-vis euro area residents.

The template comprises four tables and takes into account both the balance sheet information on international reserves and other selected assets and liabilities of the authorities and also off-balance sheet activities.

-	Section 1 describes stock position of (a) official reserve assets (b) other foreign currency assets. (Part 1b includes holdings other than euro by euro area residents.)
-	Section 2 is a schedule of pre-determined short-term net drains on foreign currency assets.
-	Section 3 is a schedule of contingent short-term net drains on foreign currency assets.
-	Section 4 of the template provides supplementary information not included in Section 1-3 and is known as Memorandum Items.