BACKGROUND

Balance of Payments (BOP) and International Investment Position (IIP) statistics are key economic indicators to measure macroeconomic performance and guiding macroeconomic policy. They shed light on the size and composition of a country’s external trade in goods and services, as well as its financial transactions with the rest of the world. They also provide information on the economy’s international financial asset and liability position. All these are crucial variables for assessing current and prospective developments in exchange rates and the country’s vulnerability to external shocks. It is therefore important that these statistics are accurate, relevant, consistent and compiled based on international best practice(s). Above all, there are significant data disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which require innovative data collection methods and data sources. It is against this background that MEFMI will be conducting an e-Learning course on the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position (BOP/IIP) compilation and analysis to build capacity in this area.