every SGD dollar=backed by hard asset #ownership

Posted on by tiger40490 rendered_on [ Thu, 6 Mar 2025 ] 17:23 UTC

 

As of 2020, the total currency in circulation was S$57 billion.[6] This figure was 29 billion in 2012. All issued Singapore currency in circulation (notes and coins) are fully backed by external assets in its Currency_Fund to maintain public confidence. Such external assets consists of all or any of the following:[9] (a) gold; (b) foreign exchange in the form of time deposits; Treasury Bills; (c) securities of (or guaranteed by) foreign governments or international financial institutions; (d) equities; (e) corporate bonds; (f) futures; (g) other asset.

As at 31 March 2017, MAS’s assets (S$395 billion) were more than seven times larger than the assets of the Currency_Fund (S$55 billion).

Official Foreign Reserves (mas.gov.sg) shows similar history levels for end of 2017. By the way, the end-2019 level was below end-2018, possibly due to covid19 preparation

As part of the MAS total assets, Singapore’s foreign reserves officially stood at over US$288.2 billion, as of July 2022 according to the MAS.[11] This is confirmed by the monthly query result on MAS Monthly Statistical Bulletin – IV.7 Official Foreign Reserves

2022 Q1 gold.org/IMF data shows similar numbers:

  • SG total reserve [sum of the below] = USD 434.4 billion
  • SG FX reserve = USD 424.8 billion
  • SG gold reserve = 153.74 tonne = USD 9.6 billion, or 2.2% of total reserve

MAS assets including OFR+gold add up to S$580b as of Feb 2022, but excludes assets managed by GIC and Temasek. All of them are owned by the the SG gov, operated by the PAP administration. See “oil money” below. Comprable to the Nobel memorial fund, or the Harvard endowment fund, it is not owned by any SG citizen. The private money held by SG citizens would add up to a separate amount. In contrast, the assets in CPF is 100% owned by individual citizens (simplest case), not owned by SG gov; the assets of IBM is 100% owned by shareholders. One shareholder could be Intel, another could be SG MAS.

Each (portion) of the SGD 29b was created exclusively by MAS, either physically or (presumably) electronically. Electronically means deposite into a bank account. Every physical note has a serial number. Either physical or electronic, a new SGD 1 represents a kind of “claim” on the $55b CurrencyFund.

— owernship of CPF money

Backgrounder: In general, every amount has an owner. (A central bank and a government is also a kind of owner.) MLP managed 40b but each dollar has a known owner. When Intel invests $100m free cash, that 100m is “owned” by Intel, but Intel stocks are owned by millions of investors including institutional investors. Ownership is complicated by holding companies and investment trusts.

1. CPF money belongs to individual Singaporeans, and not government’s money. This ownership difference must be understood first. If $200m CPF money (including my money) is managed by GIC, then this $200m is not “government’s money”. See MOF | Is our CPF money safe? Can the Government pay all its debt obligations?

2. CPF money is invested with a fund manager — GIC. GIC also invests “government’s money.” The dual mandate of GIC is extremely confusing until you understand the ownership. Similar to GIC,

  • GSAM, was managing client’s money, employee’s money and Goldman’s house money.
  • MLP was managing client’s money and founder Izzy’s family money

— oil money .. when oil appreciates, many gulf countries became richer. Basically, the central banks and treasuries became richer with a bigger OFR.

Q: Who have the ultimate ownership of the oil assets (+ the derived cash)? Some say the king, some say the citizens, but I would say “not so simple”. The government is the proper owner, as stipulated in the constitution.