Government Officials from Various African Countries Receive Training on the Compilation and Dissemination of Government Finance and Public Debt Statistics

Statistics compiled in line with international methodological standards plays a significant role in supporting sound policy formulation and analysis. They also provide a firm basis for monitoring and evaluating public finances, as well as monitoring and early detection of economic risks and vulnerabilities. Their dissemination constitutes a core part of the system of macroeconomic analysis. It also promotes comparability, better-informed public debate, greater transparency and ultimately fosters governments’ accountability in the management of public finances. As part of its effort to support sound policies, MEFMI collaborated with WAIFEM and the IMF to deliver a virtual workshop on Government Finance (GFS) and Public Sector Debt Statistics (PSDS) from 14 to 25 June 2021.

The workshop targeted mainly junior to middle-level staff responsible for compiling and reporting Government Finance and Public Sector Debt Statistics in Ministries of Finance and Central Banks. A total of 89 officials from 16 countries participated in the workshop. The participants were from Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Gambia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The training enhanced participants’ knowledge and capacity to apply GFS and PSDS principles and methodologies as a basis for compiling and presenting government finance and public sector debt statistics. This is expected to support countries’ efforts to improve the availability and accuracy of public sector statistics required to inform policy. The workshop provided MEFMI, WAIFEM and IMF with a unique opportunity to engage participants in a peer-learning environment. It also provided an opportunity to identify capacity gaps to inform the development of country-specific work plans which will be substantiated by in-country technical assistance.
The workshop was facilitated by three (3) resource persons from the IMF, namely Mr. Kinoshita Noriaki (Senior Economist, Government Finance Division, IMF); Mr. Roderick O’ Mahony (Statistician, Government Accounts Classification, Central Statistics Office, Ireland) and Mr. Naoto Osawa (Senior Economist, Government Finance Division, IMF).

Prepared by Senei Molapo and Tiviniton Makuve