MINSK, 7 December (BelTA) - In November 2016 Belarus' gold and foreign exchange reserves rose by $21.2 million if calculated in accordance with methods of the International Monetary Fund. According to preliminary data, the reserves totaled $4,838.0 million as of 1 December, BelTA learned from the Information and PR Department of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus.
In national terms the volume of the gold and foreign exchange reserves went up by $138.9 million to $5,313.5 million as of 1 December 2016.
Belarus' gold and foreign exchange reserves were bolstered thanks to the revenues from selling government bonds nominated in foreign currency by the central bank, revenues from export duties on oil and oil products and also foreign currency purchases by the regulator via the Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange.
The Belarusian government and the National Bank of Belarus honored domestic and foreign commitments in foreign currency in full, as well as the reduction of the cost of gold on the international precious metals were the main reasons affecting the volume of gold and foreign currency reserves in the country.