1. Chief, Economic Statistics and National Accounts Section UNECA/ACS
National Accounts: Progress, Issues, Challenges, and Way forward in Africa
Xiaoning Gong
Chief, Economic Statistics and National Accounts Section UNECA/ACS

2. Outline of Presentation
The theme of this ASSD
Areas of focus
Current status, issues, and challenges
Supports of international, regional, sub-regional, and development partners
Capacity building programmes on SUTs, EE-SUTs, and GDP rebasing
Expected results of this ASSD

3. Population Census, SNA, etc.
Strengthening Population Census and SNA to Support SDGs (Agenda 2030 & 2063)
SDGs
Econ
Stat
Env
Social Stat
Population Census, SNA, etc.

4. SNA, EconStat, EnvStat, and SDGs
EconStat: Economic Statistics for SDGs
SNA: GDP Rebasing & Supply-Use Tables (SUTs)
EnvStat: Environmentally Extended SUTs (EE-SUTs)

5. Why GDP Rebasing? GDP Rebasing
Need to update the base period to better account for current economic conditions.
A key component and indicator for measuring the size and the growth of an economy.
International recommendation is to update GDP at least once every five years.
GDP is the first and most important indicators in SNA and for the economy.
GDP Rebasing

6. Why SUTs?
A framework for checking and reconciling the consistency and completeness of GDP from various sources.
A part of the minimum requirement data set and thus the first and core step to be compiled.
A powerful analytic tools for the study of the national economy, industrial structures, and the links among various economies at a global level.
SUTs are the first and most important account in SNA and for the economy.
SUTs

7. Why EE-SUTs?
- Methodology: Adding a few columns/rows in SUTs to include environmental issues, ensuring consistency and coherence between EE-SUTs and SUTs.
Taking EE-SUTs approach (i.e. based on SUTs) is more practical, programmatic, effective, and efficient, especially for countries in Africa.
- Data sources: Maximizing statistics and data information embedded in the SUTs.
EE-SUTs are the flow accounts and thus the first accounts of SEEA.
EE-SUTs

8. GDP Rebasing: Current Status, Issues, and Challenges
Many countries have launched GDP rebasing while most countries on the continent have a GDP with a base-year that is more than five years old:
14 countries have a base year between 2010 and 2013.
35 have a base year between 2000 and 2009.
Three have a GDP with a base year before 2000.
Issues & Challenges
Current Status
Successful GDP rebasing requires sufficient data sets while data collection is costly.
GDP rebasing calls for better coordination in data collection and better use of the data.
Countries can request technical assistance from development partners for GDP rebasing when needed.

9. SUTs: Current Status, Issues, and Challenges
60% of countries in Africa have compiled SUTs
Raise the awareness of the importance and usefulness of SUTs.
Issues & Challenges
23 countries have supply-use tables at constant prices
Strengthen collaboration among producers and users of data.
Current Status
38 planned to compile new ones in 2017 and beyond.
More technical supports are needed on advanced ICT tools and methodologies.

10. EE-SUTs: Current Status, Issues, and Challenges
14 countries have compiled at least one System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) compliant account.
20 planning to compile SEEA accounts in the near future.
Issues & Challenges
Identify the account(s) with priority.
Obtain support from government for resources.
Strengthen the collaboration between NSOs and related line ministries for sharing and making use of data.
Adequate technical assistance.

11. Economic Statistics for SDGs: Current Status, Issues, and Challenges
only 20 out of 36 are “real” Tier I indicators and 12 are missing all the time.
To build an integrated database of national accounts and economic statistics.
Household surveys provide a most useful data source.
Only seven indicators in the case of (1, 1).
Current Status
Issues & Challenges
The onus is on countries for the data for SDGs; custodial agencies play an important role for providing metadata and technical capacity building.
16 indicators in the case of (0, 1).

12. Supports from International, Regional, and Sub-regional Organizations and Development Partners
Technical assistance provided to countries; training on ERETES.
Afristat & INSEE
International Comparison Program for Africa & Training Workshops on Business Registration
AfDB
Technical assistance missions and training workshops in Africa.
IMF MS
Supports to the Capacity Building Programs on SUTs, EE-SUTs, and GDP rebasing in Africa.
World Bank, UNSD, OECD, WTO
Pan-African Statistics Program (PAS) for capacity-building in statistics on the continent.
AUC & Eurostat
Technical meetings of the heads and technical experts of member countries.
RECs

13. Capacity Building Programmes on SUTs, EE-SUTs, and GDP Rebasing in Africa
Dissemination and application B
National workshops and TA missions A
Phase III-B
Face-to-face Seminar for a group
Phase III-A
E-Training for all the countries
Phase II
Phase I
Phase II
Phase III-A
Phase III-B
Phase I

14. Capacity Building Programmes on SUTs, EE-SUTs, and GDP Rebasing in Africa
CBP on EE-SUTs (I)
E-Training on compilation and application of EE-SUTs
CBP on SUTs (I)
E-Training on compilation and application of SUTs
CBP on EE-SUTS (II)
Face-to-face regional seminar on EE-SUTs
CBP on EE-SUTs (III)
National workshops and TA missions on EE-SUTs
CBP on SUTs (III)
National workshops and TA missions on SUTs
CBP on GDP Rebasing (I)
E-Training on how to conduct GDP rebasing
CBP on SUTs (II)
Face-to-face regional seminar on SUTs

15. Capacity Building Programmes on SUTs, EE-SUTs, and GDP Rebasing in Africa
Player
Activity
ECA and Partners
Phase I: e-Training
Phase II: Face-to-face seminar
Phase III: National workshops & TA missions
Country Participants
To gain knowledge
and skills
To prepare
to take off
Compile accounts and indicators
Subject
SUTs
311 participants
from 41 countries
36 participants
from 29 countries
EE-SUTs
372 participants
from 49 countries
50 participants
from 15 countries
GDP Rebasing

16. CBP on SUTs, EE-SUTs, and GDP Rebasing Homepage

17. Expected Outcome of This Symposium
Goal: To advance the development of economic statistics and national accounts in Africa 1
Exchange and sharing of country experience and practice, and DG’s visions 2
Underscore the importance of the implementation of the SNA 3
Review the progress made 4
Identify issues and challenges 5
Formulate strategies for moving forward

18. Thank you very much for your attention!

19. Thanks / Merci