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Workshop on National Accounts6-9 July 2009, New Delhi, India

Gulab SinghGulab SinghUN Statistics DivisionUN Statistics Division

South Asian Countries Compliance with the

UN-NAQ Questionnaire

Outline

Introduction. UN National Accounts Questionnaire Scope of national accounts statistics reported to the UNSD.

Scope of 1993 SNA implementation.

Introduction

At the request of the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) the UNSD Collects National Accounts data from Member States regularly evaluates the conceptual compliance of

official NA data with the recommendations of the 1993 SNA

The data is collected annually through the National Accounts Questionnaire (UN-NAQ)

Collected from individual country and/or regional organizations like United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); OECD; or through the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM)

Many countries are not able to submit the minimum requirement data set (as defined by the UNSC) to the UNSD.

UN National Accounts Questionnaire

Table 1.1 GDP by expenditures at current prices

Table 1.2 GDP by expenditures at constant prices

Table 1.3 Relations among product, income, savings, and net lending aggregates

Table 2.1 Value added by industries at current prices

Table 2.2 Value added by industries at constant prices

Table 2.3 Output, gross value added, and fixed assets by industries at current prices

Table 3.1 Government final consumption expenditure by function at current prices

Table 3.2 Individual consumption expenditure of households, NPISHs, and general government at current prices

Table 4.1 Total Economy – Sequence of accounts

Table 4.2 Rest of the world

Minimum required data set (MRDS)

MRDS Tables 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.1 or 1.3 and 4.2

General Comments on Reporting

SAARC Member States and Afghanistan report their national accounts data directly to the UNSD through the UN-NAQ

Scope of National Account Statistics

The scope of national accounts data reported to the UNSD is evaluated against a standard “minimum requirement data set” (MRDS), and against the “milestone” achieved

A set of MRDS required for meaningful policy decision making, was adopted by the UNSC at its 32nd session in 2001 .

The UNSC at its 29th session in 1997 defined statistical implementation “milestones”.

Milestone and compliance with the identified indicators - both evaluate the scope of 1993 SNA implementation

Frequency of Reporting

Figure 1: Frequency of Reporting

Compliance with 1993 SNA concepts Elements affecting the level of GDP Gross capital formation (GCF)/output Is government defence expenditure on fixed assets that can be used for civilian purposes included in

GCF? Is consumption of fixed capital included on all government fixed assets (roads, dams and breakwaters

and other forms of construction except structures)? Is all mineral exploration (successful and unsuccessful) capitalized? Is expenditure on computer software purchases included in GCF and on software development included

in output? Is expenditure on entertainment, literary or artistic originals included in GCF and on their development

included in output? Is expenditure on valuables included in GCF? 1993 SNA extends the production boundary of households to include all goods produced by households

for own consumption:: are these goods included in output? Is the natural growth of cultivated forests included in GCF? Volume estimates Are volumes estimated using a chaining procedure with annually changing weights?

Social contributions/insurance Are unfunded social contributions (for sickness, unemployment, retirement etc.) by enterprises

imputed as compensation of employees and included as contributions to private employer initiated social insurance schemes?

Rather than be based just on premiums less claims, do non-life insurance estimates include premium supplements?

Elements affecting GNI Are reinvested earnings estimates included in the rest of the world account? Are foreign workers’ remittances excluded?

Elements not affecting the level of GDP/GNI Final consumption Is government final consumption expenditure broken down into individual and collective consumption?

Implementation milestones for the 1993 SNA

Phases of implementation Complementary data systems SNA-related data and

development

Pre-SNA phases

- Basic data (production etc.) - BOP goods and services - Monetary stock statistics - Price indices (consumer,

producer, wholesale)

Phase 1. Basic indicators of GDP at Current and constant prices- Final expenditures on GDP - GDP by industry

- Supply and Use worksheets - Other BOP transactions (income

transfers, capital and financial) - GFS transaction accounts

Phase 2. GNI and other primary indicators - External account of primary incomes and current transfers - Capital and financial accounts for the rest of the world

- Capital stock statistics - BOP stock statistics (IIP) - GFS stock statistics - Monetary and other financial flow

statistics

- QNA- Regional accounts - Satellite accounts for environment

and other country priority satellite accounts

- Input-output analysis

Phase 3. Institutional sector accounts: first steps - Production accounts for all institutional sectors - Generation of income - Allocation of primary income - Secondary distribution income - Use of income - Capital and financial accounts for general govt.

Same as for phase 2 Same as for phase 2

Phase 4. Institutional sector accounts: intermediate steps - Generation of income - Allocation of primary income - Secondary distribution of income - Use of income - Capital accounts for all institutional sectors other than government

Same as for phase 2 Same as for phase 2

Phase 5. Institutional sector accounts: last of the transaction accounts - Financial accounts for all institutional sectors other than general

government Same as for phase 2 Same as for phase 2

Phase 6. Other flows, accounts and balance sheets - Other changes in assets accounts for all institutional sectors - Balance sheets

Same as for phase 2 Same as for phase 2

Implementation of the 1993 SNA

Based on the data sent to UNSD.

Implementation of the 1993 SNA (Cont)

Country Year of 1993 SNA Implementation

Afghanistan 2007 Bangladesh Pre 2001 Bhutan 2006 India 2006 Maldives Pre 2001 Nepal 2007 Pakistan 2004 Sri Lanka 2001

Of the SAARC countries:- 2 implemented the 1993 SNA prior to 2001.- 2 implemented the 1993 SNA between 2001 and 2005.-4 implemented the 1993 SNA after 2001

Tables of the MRDS

Tables of the Minimum Requirement Data Set (MRDS) Data available between

2003-2007 Total

Number 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 2.3 1.3/4.1 4.2 All Countries 224 168 (75%) 132 (59%) 171 (76%) 160 (71%) 123 (55%) 140 (63%) 92 (41%) UN Member States 192 154 (80%) 125 (65%) 158 (82%) 153 (80%) 113 (59%) 131 (68%) 86 (45%) Developed regions 49 44 (90%) 41 (84%) 44 (90%) 41 (84%) 41 (84%) 42 (86%) 35 (71%)

Developing regions 163 113 (69%) 82 (50%) 115 (71%) 107 (66%) 74 (45%) 88 (54%) 48 (29%) ESCAP 49 36 (71%) 28 (57%) 39 (80%) 39 (80%) 21 (43%) 32 (65%) 19 (39%)

SAARC Countries 8 8 (100%) 6 (75%) 7 (88%) 8 (100%) 4 (50%) 7 (88%) 3 (38%)

Based on data submitted to UNSD.

Scope of National Accounts Statistics

MRDS Milestone Level

Data available between 2003-2007

Total Number

Six or more tables

Seven tables 1 or higher 2

All Countries 224 107 (48%) 79 (35%) 165 (74%) 138 (62%) UN Member States 192 102 (53%) 77 (40%) 152 (79%) 129 (67%)

Developed regions 49 38 (78%) 32 (65%) 43 (88%) 41 (84%)

Developing regions 163 60 (37%) 39 (24%) 111 (68%) 87 (53%)

ESCAP 49 24 (49%) 14 (29%) 36 (73%) 32 (65%)

SAARC 8 5 (63%) 2 (25%) 8 (100%) 7 (88%)

Based on data submitted to UNSD.

Conclusions

Availability of NA data from the South Asian countries has increased in the past.

There are 4 countries that have implemented the 1993 SNA in the last 3 years.

Hopefully we can work together to improve the implementation of international standards to national accounts of the South Asian countries.

Thank You