On or before the tenth day of each quarter of the fiscal year the state treasurer and the secretary of finance and administration shall report to the state board of finance the amount of money on deposit in state depositories, the account or funds to which the money is credited, the amount of money necessary in the opinion of each of such officers to be kept on demand deposit to meet expenses for the quarter, and the amount of money available, in the opinion of each of the officers, for investment for the ensuing quarter. The state board of finance, from such reports and other information which may be available to it, shall direct the state treasurer to invest such sums as it may determine as available for investment in interest-paying time deposits or short-term United States government securities, or a combination thereof. It is the further policy of the state of New Mexico to foster the banking business and the savings and loan business, and the board of finance shall not withdraw funds from the various banks and savings and loan associations of New Mexico if it is the banks’ and savings and loan associations’ desire to pay some reasonable interest rate on the funds. The state board of finance shall determine the rate of interest to be charged on the investments. The interest earned from the investment of this money shall be placed into the general fund of the state.