Press Release No. 14/481

Press Release: IMF’s Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center Concludes Workshop on the Compilation of Financial Account and External Sector Position Statistics

October 24, 2014

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center

(METAC) held a workshop on “Compilation of Financial Account and External Sector Position Statistics” in Beirut, Lebanon, from October 21−23, 2014. The workshop discussed in depth the compilation of financial account and external sector position statistics and focused on the use of the balance sheets to compile the external sector statistics, with emphases on compilation of the quarterly International Investment Position (IIP), Coordinated Direct Investment Survey (CDIS), Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey (CPIS), Quarterly External Debt Statistics (QEDS), and Reserves Template. It also addressed data consistency issues across external sector datasets, as well as with related datasets.

The active discussions involved case studies and country presentations and focused on data consistency, sources, and the issues and challenges in the compiling economies represented.

In a final wrap-up session, participants were given the opportunity to identify potential areas for future METAC technical assistance support.

Officials from central banks involved in the compilation of balance of payments and international investment position statistics in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region attended the workshop. In total, 25 participants from 11 countries attended. The countries represented included: Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and West Bank and Gaza.

Quick links:

Press Release No. 04/224: Inauguration of the Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center (METAC)

Factsheet: IMF Technical Assistance

Factsheet: IMF Regional Technical Assistance Centers