EN/CSC2/2014/Pres/01
Ghana’s Experience in
Setting Up a Plan for the
Implementation of the
2008 SNA
2nd Meeting of the Continental Steering
Committee Addis Ababa, 2-4 April, 2014
Outline
Introduction
 Proposed Implementation of SNA 2008
 New Data Sources
 Plans for Further Improvement
 Required Technical Assistance
 Challenges
 Conclusion

Introduction

The SNA is an agreed set of international
standards to measure economic activity (GDP)
in a country within a given period.

The 2008 SNA is an update of the 1993 SNA
which is also a revision of the 1968 SNA.

The SNA 2008 measures GDP and its
components on basic prices rather than on
factor cost;

It uses the techniques of double deflation,
exploration costs, financial intermediation
services indirectly measured (FISM) and many
other techniques.
Introduction cont.
Fundamental changes in the 2008 SNA;







Expenditures on research now treated as capital
formation and not as intermediate consumption
Weapon systems classified as capital formation
Measurement of non-life insurance services
Revised and detailed calculation of FISIM
Revision of process of measuring public-private
partnerships
Revision of process of measuring transactions
between central government and public
corporations
Captures activities for loan guarantees
transactions
2008 SNA: An Update of the 1993 SNA
Updating of the current SNA to 2008 SNA is
essential since;
1.
It leads to closer consistency with other
statistical concepts in other manuals such
as BOP manual
2.
It improves the methods of computing
GDP
Plans for Implementation of SNA 2008
The implementation of the 2008 SNA involves
three main processes;
1.
Rebasing of the current GDP
2.
Migration from the current SNA version
(SNA1993 in the case of Ghana) to SNA 2008
3.
Improving the statistical information gathering
system to ensure the information required for
SNA 2008-based national accounts are available
Rebasing of the Current GDP
Rebasing of the GDP is essential because the
implementation of the new system (SNA 2008);
1.
May lead to changes that can affect the level of
GDP
2.
Will affect computation of growth rates and
other indicators
Development of the statistical information
gathering system to take care of all the
2008 SNA data requirements
Ghana’s National Accounts requires new data
sources such as:
 Software development activities
 Military delivery expenditure
 Detailed activities of companies’ exploration
costs
 Production data on all crops (currently only 12
out of 67 crops covered in GDP estimation
 Livestock (poultry, piggery not included – use
only cattle, goats and sheep as proxy)
Development of the statistical information
gathering system to take care of the 2008
SNA data requirements (Contd.)

Some Forestry activities not included in current
GDP Production such as;
◦ Hunting
◦ Charcoal production
◦ Other minor forestry activities;

Information available covers log production,
afforestation and wildlife;

Over dependence on administrative data
◦ Need for regular censuses and surveys (especially in
the agricultural and industrial sectors) to obtain data
on the informal sector activities which make up about
60% of GDP.
Plans for further Improvement in data
quality and sources of data in Ghana
1.
Improve national data system through conduct
of censuses and surveys such as;

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Integrated Business Establishment Survey
Agricultural Census
Economic Surveys
Population and Housing Census
Improve exhaustiveness and coverage of
economic activities (e.g., informal sector
activities, military weapons and fixed assets,
etc.)
3. Measuring economic activities not covered by
the formal sector statistics (non-observed
economy e.g., gambling, illegal mining, drug
trafficking)
2.
Required Technical Assistance

Update of Supply & Use Tables (SUT) to derive
benchmark estimates for GDP components such as
Total Output, Intermediate Consumption, and Gross
Value Added by activity. Current one was compiled
in 2004.
•
Update the products in different sectors to conform
to Central Product Classification (CPC version 2);
•
Training on ISIC revision 4 to enhance the
understanding of staff
•
Update industrial activities according to ISIC
revision 4
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Required Technical Assistance (Contd.)
A local technical committee on national
accounts to be set up to validate:
Quality of data used
 Methodology adopted
 Computations

Until now, GSS has depended on external
experts (especially those from IMF)
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Challenges

Inadequate capacity within GSS to update
the SUT

Unavailability of comprehensive data to
facilitate migration to SNA 2008

Unavailability of funds to carry out
required surveys and censuses
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Conclusion
•
GSS is committed to a continuous
improvement in the compilation of National
Accounts statistics;
•
GSS plans to adopt SNA 2008 in 2015 when
data from the GLSS6, IBES and Census of
Agriculture are expected to be available for
rebasing the GDP;
•
Technical Assistance needed to help GSS
overcome some of the identified challenges
and have a smooth transition to SNA 2008
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Thank you for your kind attention!
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