Dissemination Standards Bulletin BoardQuarterly Update on the Special Data Dissemination Standard
Fourth Quarter 2010
March 11, 2011Observance Status
As of the end of the fourth quarter of 2010, all 68 SDDS subscribers were in observance of the SDDS requirements for the coverage, periodicity, and timeliness of the data and for the dissemination of advance release calendars (ARCs) (Table 1). The IMF's Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) disseminates a complete list of SDDS subscribers.
| Table 1. SDDS Indicators | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indicators | As of December 31, 2009 |
As of September 30, 2010 |
As of December 31, 2010 |
| Number of subscribers | 66 | 68 | 68 |
| Number of countries officially in observance1 | 66 | 68 | 68 |
| 1Observance of the requirements of the SDDS with respect to the coverage, periodicity, and timeliness of the data and the use of ARCs. Other elements of the SDDS dealing with the integrity and quality of the data are on a self-disclosure basis, with subscribers providing information on which users can make their own judgments. A subscriber experiencing difficulties in meeting SDDS requirements is not automatically in non observance of the SDDS. When deviations from SDDS requirements occur, the IMF staff follows the procedure for handling non observance issues provided in section III.4 of the SDDS legal text (see http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/sd/index.asp?decision=EBM/96/36). Initially the IMF staff tries to resolve the issue directly with the subscriber, and then, if necessary, through the Executive Director representing the subscriber in the Fund. If these efforts fail, the matter is brought to the attention of the subscriber's Governor for the Fund. A subscriber is officially declared in non observance only when a note to that effect is posted on the DSBB. | |||
Monitoring Punctuality of Data Releases
The IMF monitors the punctuality of data releases of each SDDS subscriber. Punctuality is monitored by comparing the first appearance of new information on the subscriber's National Summary Data Page (NSDP) against the last release date announced in the subscriber's ARC for each of the SDDS data categories. The ARC release dates should meet the SDDS timeliness requirements for the various data categories. Table 2 contains monitoring results for the fourth quarter of 2010, showing comparisons with results for the third quarter of 2010, and with those for the fourth quarter of 2009.
Year on year, the punctuality of data releases for the fourth quarter of 2010 increased for monthly data (except for central government operations and merchandise trade), and also for quarterly and annual data. Quarter on quarter, the punctuality of data releases for the fourth quarter of 2010 increased for annual data (except for international investment position), but decreased for monthly data (except for industrial production index, producer prices index and analytical accounts of the banking sector), as well as for quarterly data (except for national accounts and balance of payments). Compared with historical averages since the third quarter of 2000, when monitoring was introduced, the punctuality of data releases for the fourth quarter of 2010 increased for monthly data (except for consumer prices index, reserves template and merchandise trade), for quarterly data (except for employment, unemployment and external debt), and for annual data.
On February 28, 2011, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) discussed an Interim Report for the Eighth Review of the Fund's Data Standards Initiatives. The Public Information Notice (PIN) for this meeting is available at http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pn/2011/pn1133.htm.