## IMF Technical Assistance on Statistics—Experience of Zimbabwe

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**Canonical URL:** [IMF Technical Assistance on Statistics—Experience of Zimbabwe](https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/capacity-developement/d4d/june-2023/04-d4d-fund-scm-zimbabwe-experience-on-cd-delivery-on-statistics.pdf)

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### Context and engagement
- Presentation delivered at the Data for Decisions (D4D) Fund Steering Committee Meeting on June 5, 2023 by Issouf Samake, Senior Economist, IMF African Department.
- Zimbabwe is described as:
  - an IMF intensive surveillance country.
  - classified as Fragileand Conflict-affected State (FCS).
  - near-program.
- Engagement modalities:
  - Surveillance and an active capacity development (CD) program country, mainly technical assistance (TA) and training.
  - CD programs are delivered both from IMF headquarters and by the IMF’s Regional Technical Assistance Center for Southern Africa (AFS)—virtual / internet-based / in-person.

### Authorities’ views on data usage and role of CD
- Authorities expressed appreciation for the extensive CD on statistical issues provided by the Fund.
- Authorities noted:
  - the importance of CD in building institutional capacity at the Finance Ministry, particularly at Zimbabwe Statistical Agency.
  - CD as important for supporting their economic and social policies.
  - Fund CD was well aligned with the macroeconomic objectives and priorities underlying their National Development Strategy.
  - a request for support on statistical issues for the period ahead.
- CD programs on statistical issues have been central to the IMF’s engagement with Zimbabwe and reflect the authorities’ requests and Fund staff's assessment of priorities.

### Institutional and financing status (actual and prospective)
- Actual:
  - Following the clearance by Zimbabwe of its PRGT arrears to the Fund, the IMF Executive Board removed on November 14, 2016, all remedial measures, including limitations on the provision of CD.
  - Zimbabwe is ineligible to access IMF financing due to its external arrears to official creditors and unsustainable debt situation.
- Prospectively:
  - Securing support of the international community will be important for arrears’ clearance and Zimbabwe’s development agenda.
  - Close coordination with development partners and other CD providers is required to ensure complementarities.

### Recent achievements on statistics
- On March 14—Zimbabwe implemented the e-GDDS (with JSA funding) and launched the data portal—the National Summary Data Page—described as a testament to Zimbabwe’s commitment to data transparency.
- Zimbabwe will benefit from using the e-GDDS as a framework for further development of its statistical system (accessible in a standardized way to facilitate analysis of economic trends across countries and to provide an early detection of risks to help avert economic crises, thus supporting sustainable economic growth and development).
- The authorities recently published estimates of annual gross domestic product (GDP) by the production approach for the years 2019-2021 in ZWL. The authorities are currently back-casting data prior to 2019.

### IMF CD delivery assessment and priorities on statistics
- IMF assistance aims to durably restore macroeconomic stability and enhance the foundations for higher and more inclusive growth through a tailored CD program on statistics.
- Fund CD implementation has been generally good in some areas and contributed to improving local capacity, though there is still scope for improvement (and to improve policy traction).
- CD priorities will focus on:
  - completing the quarterly national accounts (objective of a round of TA missions in the coming year);
  - addressing key data gaps on statistic;
  - ratcheting up data quality;
  - broadening data dissemination to help detect economic vulnerabilities and risks;
  - improving economic decision-making.

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/capacity-developement/d4d/june-2023/04-d4d-fund-scm-zimbabwe-experience-on-cd-delivery-on-statistics.pdf_