## UNITED KINGDOM—ANGUILLA—BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY — REPORT ON EXTERNAL SECTOR STATISTICS MISSION — MARCH 27–31, 2017

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**Canonical URL:** [UNITED KINGDOM—ANGUILLA—BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY — REPORT ON EXTERNAL SECTOR STATISTICS MISSION — MARCH 27–31, 2017](https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/cr/2018/cr18320.pdf)

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### Summary of mission outcomes and priority recommendations
- Mission type and timing:
  - A technical assistance (TA) mission on external sector statistics (ESS) was conducted in The Valley, Anguilla, during March 27–31, 2017.
  - This was the first mission to Anguilla carried out as part of the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) work program on ESS.
- Purpose:
  - Assist the Anguilla Statistics Department (ASD) in strengthening the compilation and dissemination of ESS to facilitate robust assessment of external sector developments and policy impact.
- Context and recent data activity:
  - In January 2016, the ECCB released preliminary reviewed data of 2014 balance of payments and—for the first time—international investment position statistics for Anguilla and the rest of ECCU member economies.
  - The ASD has the highest ESS survey response rate in the ECCU (around 90 percent of the sample).
  - Revisions: magnitude of revisions in the current account for Anguilla has not been as significant as in other ECCU economies; pending data revisions to trade in goods and travel services exports can potentially bring significant changes to the current account balance.
  - Relevant financial account components (direct and portfolio investment liabilities and other investment assets) have been reviewed with significant changes due to improvements in the scope of the ESS survey.
- Priority work areas addressed:
  - Trade in goods statistics: long-standing absence of reliable source data since implementation of ASYCUDA World (AW) in 2010; AW output tables provided for 2014 show significant inconsistencies in coverage and classification.
  - Travel services exports: Visitor Expenditure Survey (VES) methodology uses outdated average daily expenditure ratios (ADEs) carried forward by annual inflation; ASD is reviewing methodology with inclusion of VES data.

### Priority recommendations (as presented in the mission)
- Target dates and actions:
  - June 2017:
    - Reestablish the technical working group to resolve the current lack of reliable source data from AW. It is desirable that the working group has the participation of most senior management from the AHMC, the ASD, and the DITES, and report to MFED authorities.
    - Responsible institutions: AHMC, ASD and DITES.
  - Immediate:
    - ASD accesses to customs database. It is recommended that the ASD conducts a deep assessment of the source data for the time series currently available in AW and discusses results in the context of the above technical working group. A report with findings and the way forward should be drafted and provided to MFED authorities.
    - Responsible institutions: AHMC-ASD.
  - December 2018:
    - Review travel services exports using up-to-date VES estimates. It is advised to elaborate an exercise with data collected from the current VES. Once results are verified, they can be disseminated and included in the balance of payments of the country.
    - Responsible institution: ASD.

### Access to ASYCUDA World (AW) database by Anguilla’s Statistics Department
- Findings:
  - Technological benefits of AW have not yet been exploited for statistical purposes.
  - ASD has not had access to a customs database for a long time; AW database is required for compilation of international merchandise trade statistics in EUROTRACE.
  - Before AW, monthly data were provided in text files read into EUROTRACE; after AW, AHMC provided output tables in PDF files (including 2014 tables provided to the ECCB early in 2017).
  - The mission highlighted that the ideal arrangement would be for the ASD to have its own AW terminal for statistical purposes to support trade statistics, business register updates, representative economic surveys, trade indexes, and ancillary ESS components.
- Recommended action:
  - The ASD access to customs database.

### Assessment of customs data
- Coverage issues:
  - Assessment of 2014 imports tables provided by AHMC found data on imports of fuel are incomplete—around half of the value reported in the ESS survey by fuel importers.
  - Import values of other commodities seem to be small if compared with corresponding duty paid.
  - Volume data also seem to be largely omitted or inconsistent.
- Classification and capacity issues:
  - Commodity classification issues noted; relevant data broken down by Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding Systems (HS) likely have inconsistencies.
  - AHMC expressed capacity constraints to address issues regarding mining and extracting data from AW.
  - The ASD proposed a follow-up meeting to discuss findings, but no response was received from AHMC during the mission.
- Discussed solutions:
  - Reestablish the interagency technical working group (AHMC, ASD, DITES) created for AW implementation to work on a sustainable and cost-efficient solution.
  - Alternative: ASD to carry out a simplified form to collect annual trade in goods data directly from main traders (could be fitted as an appendix to the Annual Business Survey – National Accounts (ABS - NA)), acknowledging challenges including additional ASD resources and potential reluctance of companies that could affect response rates.
- Recommended actions:
  - Reestablish the technical working group to resolve the current lack of continuous and reliable source data from AW.
  - Consider surveying main traders if AW cannot be fully functional for trade statistics purposes in the short term.
  - Reference: Appendix 8 of the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Compilation Guide (BPM CG) includes a questionnaire form on goods that can be used as a reference—see page 494.

### Visitor Expenditure Survey (VES) and travel services exports
- Findings:
  - Data from the VES for compilation of exports of travel services require revisions.
  - Current methodology uses ADEs carried forward based on the annual inflation (consumer price index).
  - Other ECCU countries have revised methodology and updated ADEs from more recent VESs, leading to significant upward revisions of travel services exports.
  - ASD is currently working on reviewing current methodology with inclusion of data collected from the VES.
- Recommended action:
  - Review travel services exports using up-to-date VES estimates.

*Source: IMF Country Report No. 18/320, Technical Assistance Report—Report on External Sector Statistics Mission—March 27–31, 2017.*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/cr/2018/cr18320.pdf_