IMF Support to African
Countries in National Accounts
Statistics
Inauguration meeting of the Continental Steering Committee
(CSC) for the African project for the implementation of the
2008 SNA
Addis Ababa, September 18, 2013
IMF Support to African Countries in
National Accounts Statistics
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Through the IMF's Africa Capacity Building Initiative to
strengthen economic governance and domestic capacity of
governments to carry out sound economic poverty-reducing
policies.
Five regional TA centers (AFRITACs), covering 44 sub-Saharan
African countries, five long term advisors (soon seven);
Middle East TA Center (METAC) covering Egypt, Sudan and
Libya;
The share of Africa accounts for about 40 percent in total field
time in persons weeks spent by the IMF for TA
– About 100 TA missions per year: assessment missions: single, multitopic, or ROSC
– About 10 workshops/seminars per year: Courses in regional training
centers: Tunisia and Mauritius (est. in 2013)
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AFRITACs
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AFRITAC East (AFE), est. 2002
– Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda,
Tanzania, Uganda;
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AFRITAC West (AFW), est. 2003
– Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger,
Senegal, and Togo;
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AFRITAC Center (AFC), est. 2007
– Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad,
Congo, Congo DR, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon,
Sao Tome & Principe;
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AFRITAC South (AFS), est. 2011
– Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia,
Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia,
Zimbabwe
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AFRTAC West 2 (AFW2), est. 2013
– Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone
Objectives
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Determined by:
– Country and regional needs
– Country Strategy Notes
– GDDS/SDDS requirements
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Ensure quality
– Data Quality Assessment Framework
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Future
– Two more Long Term Advisors: AFW2 and AFS
– Increased number of TA missions and
seminars/workshops
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Strategy and expected outcomes
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Towards regular and timely compilation and dissemination of
national accounts, according to internationally accepted
standards
– Regular updates of the base year for annual national accounts, including
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supply and use tables and institutional sector accounts; gradual
implementation of the 2008 SNA requirements in the updated base years;
Introduction of quarterly national accounts, enhanced compilation of real
sector short term indicators;
Training staff in the compilation of national accounts;
Training users in the national accounts principles and basic compilation
methods;
Developing price statistics for better price and volume measures in
national accounts; and
Enhanced and sustained system of basic economic statistics
Achievements and challenges
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Enhancement in national accounts compilation:
– Increased number of countries applying Supply and Use approach in
compilation of national accounts;
– Ongoing updates of the benchmark year for national accounts in many
countries, good opportunity for adoption of some of the 2008 SNA
requirements; and
– Quarterly GDP being released for the first time in many countries
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Enhancements in price statistics:
– New standards in compilation of CPI achieved in most countries,
including support in implementation of the SADC/COMESA initiative for
compilation of HCPI;
– Increased ongoing projects on development/improvement of PPI.
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Main challenges:
– proactive ownership by the authorities and staff, effective management;
– appropriate funding, staffing and other resources.
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