24 May 2010
MUSCAT -- A four-day seminar on "The implementation of the system of National Accounts 2008" began here yesterday under the auspices of Mohammed bin Nasser al Khusaibi, Secretary-General, Ministry of National Economy.
The seminar (May 23-26) is organised jointly by the Ministry of National Economy, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and UN Statistics Division (UNSD).
The speakers termed seminar a strategic event for the Sultanate and GCC as a whole.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the seminar, Sabir Said al Harthy, Director-General, Economic Statistics, Ministry of National Economy, said the System of National Accounts -- 2008 (2008 SNA) is an updated version of the System of National Accounts -- 1993 (1993 SNA). It is the fifth version of the System of National Accounts, the first of which was published in 1953.
The 2008 SNA better reflects the drivers of economic development and helps measure economic progress in a better way. For example, the Research and Development, which was not included in the 1993 SNA is incorporated in the 2008 SNA, said Al Harthy.
The seminar will discuss proposed tools for the implementation of 2008 SNA.
Abdul Malik al Saleh Shaikh, Director, Planning and Research, GCC, said: "The Implementation Programme for the System of National Accounts 2008 (2008 SNA) and supporting statistics represents a global statistical initiative, which was mandated by the Statistical Commission at its 40th session following the adoption of the 2008 SNA as the international standard for the compilation and dissemination of national accounts".
With the 2008 SNA being flexible to accommodate all countries and economies, regardless of their level of statistical development, each country has to review with its users the relevant changes from the 1993 SNA to the 2008 SNA that are applicable to the country and consider its adoption.
Three distinct stages are identified for the implementation of the 2008 SNA and supporting statistics through a multi-year programme, irrespective of the level of statistical development.
The stage one involves review of strategic framework and detailing of national and regional implementation programmes. Stage two involves adaptation of classification frameworks, business registers and frames, surveys, administrative data sources and information technology infrastructure; and the third stage involves application of adapted frameworks and source data, backcasting and changeover to 2008 SNA.
The efficiency and sustainability of the implementation of the 2008 SNA rest on the agreed principles of the implementation strategy, namely: (a) strategic planning, co-ordination, monitoring and reporting; and (c) improving statistical systems.
The strategy takes as a starting point the different levels of implementation of the SNA in various countries.
The seminar is organised to develop a programme for the implementation of the 2008 SNA in the ESCWA region. The organisers will also meet on May 27 to plan the way forward and a follow-up meeting.
The purpose of the seminar is to initiate the formulation of an implementation programme for the 2008 SNA and supporting economic statistics with the objective of developing comparable economic statistics for member states in the ESCWA region as a whole to monitor the integration of their economies.
It is expected that this initiative would lead to a multi-year programme to move the countries over to the 2008 SNA and to establish a minimum common data set of annual and high frequency statistics.
Consensus among participants on a regional programme for the implementation of the 2008 SNA in the ESCWA region will be submitted to the next Session of the ESCWA Statistical Committee in October 2010.
The 2008 SNA was prepared under the auspices of the Inter-Secretariat Working Group on National Accounts (ISWGNA), which consists of five organisations: the Statistical Office of the European Commission (Eurostat), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the UN Statistics Division and regional commissions of the UN Secretariat and the World Bank.
The System of National Accounts, 2008 (2008 SNA) is a statistical framework that provides a comprehensive, consistent and flexible set of macroeconomic accounts for policymaking, analysis and research purposes. It has been produced and is released under the auspices of the UN, the European Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group.
MUSCAT -- A four-day seminar on "The implementation of the system of National Accounts 2008" began here yesterday under the auspices of Mohammed bin Nasser al Khusaibi, Secretary-General, Ministry of National Economy.
The seminar (May 23-26) is organised jointly by the Ministry of National Economy, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and UN Statistics Division (UNSD).
The speakers termed seminar a strategic event for the Sultanate and GCC as a whole.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the seminar, Sabir Said al Harthy, Director-General, Economic Statistics, Ministry of National Economy, said the System of National Accounts -- 2008 (2008 SNA) is an updated version of the System of National Accounts -- 1993 (1993 SNA). It is the fifth version of the System of National Accounts, the first of which was published in 1953.
The 2008 SNA better reflects the drivers of economic development and helps measure economic progress in a better way. For example, the Research and Development, which was not included in the 1993 SNA is incorporated in the 2008 SNA, said Al Harthy.
The seminar will discuss proposed tools for the implementation of 2008 SNA.
Abdul Malik al Saleh Shaikh, Director, Planning and Research, GCC, said: "The Implementation Programme for the System of National Accounts 2008 (2008 SNA) and supporting statistics represents a global statistical initiative, which was mandated by the Statistical Commission at its 40th session following the adoption of the 2008 SNA as the international standard for the compilation and dissemination of national accounts".
With the 2008 SNA being flexible to accommodate all countries and economies, regardless of their level of statistical development, each country has to review with its users the relevant changes from the 1993 SNA to the 2008 SNA that are applicable to the country and consider its adoption.
Three distinct stages are identified for the implementation of the 2008 SNA and supporting statistics through a multi-year programme, irrespective of the level of statistical development.
The stage one involves review of strategic framework and detailing of national and regional implementation programmes. Stage two involves adaptation of classification frameworks, business registers and frames, surveys, administrative data sources and information technology infrastructure; and the third stage involves application of adapted frameworks and source data, backcasting and changeover to 2008 SNA.
The efficiency and sustainability of the implementation of the 2008 SNA rest on the agreed principles of the implementation strategy, namely: (a) strategic planning, co-ordination, monitoring and reporting; and (c) improving statistical systems.
The strategy takes as a starting point the different levels of implementation of the SNA in various countries.
The seminar is organised to develop a programme for the implementation of the 2008 SNA in the ESCWA region. The organisers will also meet on May 27 to plan the way forward and a follow-up meeting.
The purpose of the seminar is to initiate the formulation of an implementation programme for the 2008 SNA and supporting economic statistics with the objective of developing comparable economic statistics for member states in the ESCWA region as a whole to monitor the integration of their economies.
It is expected that this initiative would lead to a multi-year programme to move the countries over to the 2008 SNA and to establish a minimum common data set of annual and high frequency statistics.
Consensus among participants on a regional programme for the implementation of the 2008 SNA in the ESCWA region will be submitted to the next Session of the ESCWA Statistical Committee in October 2010.
The 2008 SNA was prepared under the auspices of the Inter-Secretariat Working Group on National Accounts (ISWGNA), which consists of five organisations: the Statistical Office of the European Commission (Eurostat), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the UN Statistics Division and regional commissions of the UN Secretariat and the World Bank.
The System of National Accounts, 2008 (2008 SNA) is a statistical framework that provides a comprehensive, consistent and flexible set of macroeconomic accounts for policymaking, analysis and research purposes. It has been produced and is released under the auspices of the UN, the European Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group.
By Hasan Kamoonpuri
© Oman Daily Observer 2010
