## 1. Priority Recommendations ## Source details **Canonical URL:** [1. Priority Recommendations](https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/cr/2022/english/1vnmea2022003.pdf) ## Other formats - [Markdown version](/-/media/files/publications/cr/2022/english/1vnmea2022003.pdf.md) - [Structured JSON version](/-/media/files/publications/cr/2022/english/1vnmea2022003.pdf.json) --- ### Summary of mission outcomes and priority recommendations - Mission details: - A national accounts technical assistance (TA) mission was conducted remotely during April 19–26, 2021. - The mission was at the request of the General Statistics Office (GSO) of Vietnam and funded by the IMF’s Data for Decisions project. - Purpose: provide training and recommendations to the GSO on measurement of non-observed economy and support compilation of a new national accounts benchmark. - Key messages: - A good measure of non-observed activities is important for formulating, implementing, monitoring, and analyzing macroeconomic and social policies. - The GSO has identified non-observed activities and possible indicators; prioritization by GDP contribution is necessary to maximize statistical resources. - The GSO indicated estimates of illegal and underground activities will be compiled but not incorporated in published GDP estimates; the mission recommended publishing the best statistics available, including illegal and underground activities, to avoid inconsistencies. - The GSO should lead and coordinate with other data providers (e.g., Customs), providing statistical guidance to ensure source data suitability for national accounts. - The choice of benchmark year needs careful review because 2020 may reflect unusual pandemic-related patterns that could distort extrapolations; the mission’s view is that distortions from an unusual benchmark year would be greater than benefits from better source data for 2020. - The mission encouraged GSO to pursue development of a monthly indicator of economic growth and to improve the business register with IMF TA. - Priority Recommendations (Table 1): - August 2021 — Finalize the choice of the benchmark year. — GSO - August 2021 — Prioritize the list of non-observed activities. — GSO - August 2021 — Develop methodologies to improve the coverage of the non-observed economy. — GSO ### Detailed technical assessment and action plan - Overall outcome: Data are compiled and disseminated using the concepts and definitions of the latest manual/guide. - Key priority actions and target completion dates (Table 2): - HIGH — Finalize the choice of the new benchmark year. — August 2021 - HIGH — Prioritize the non-observed activities. — August 2021 - MEDIUM — Coordinate data on non-observed activities with providers. — August 2021 - HIGH — Develop methodologies to improve coverage of non-observed economy. — August 2021 - MEDIUM — Finalize the data collection for the new benchmark year. — December 2021 - MEDIUM — Populate the SUTs for the benchmark year incorporating non-observed activities and new source data from administrative sources, economic census, agriculture, forestry and fishery survey, household living standard survey, and capital investment survey. — March 2022 - MEDIUM — Develop methodologies and procedures to compile chain-linked volume estimates for annual and quarterly GDP estimates. — March 2022 - MEDIUM — Balance the SUTs for the benchmark year. — May 2022 - HIGH — Finalize the SUTs and IOTs for the benchmark year. — June 2022 - MEDIUM — Develop a strategy and methodologies to backcast national accounts estimates aligned with the new benchmark. — August 2022 - MEDIUM — Organize outreach events to users to communicate the rebase and new methodologies. — September 2022 - MEDIUM — Backcast national accounts estimates. — November 2022 - MEDIUM — Start pilot-testing compilation and preparation of quarterly national accounts using chain-linking. — December 2022 - MEDIUM — Publish rebased national accounts and backcasted series. — March 2023 ### A. Improving the Coverage of Non-Observed Activities - Categories of non-observed activities identified by GSO: - Underground activities: Legal economic activities that are deliberately concealed to avoid payment of taxes and social security contributions or complying with some regulations. - Illegal activities: Productive activities that generate goods and services forbidden by law or that are unlawful when carried out by unauthorized producers. - Informal sector production: Productive activities conducted by unincorporated enterprises in the household sector that are unregistered and/or are less than a specified size in terms of employment and have some market production. - Household production for own final use: Productive activities that result in goods or services consumed or capitalized by the households that produced them. - Missing activities due to statistical deficiencies: Productive activities to be accounted for by the basic data collection program but are missed due to statistical deficiencies. - Key findings and recommendations: - GSO aims to produce exhaustive GDP estimates and separate estimates for each non-observed category to assist policy decisions (e.g., assessing implications of moving activities from informal to formal sector). - Categories overlap; distinction must be maintained between legality of activity and law infringements while conducting the activity (tax avoidance or regulatory breaches do not necessarily make the activity itself illegal). - The GSO’s proposed criterion using level of maximum legal charges to classify activities as underground or illegal is not recommended. - Prioritization is essential because the GSO’s list is very long; limited statistical resources should focus on activities with material GDP impact (e.g., organ trafficking activities are likely limited and lower priority). - GSO should provide statistical leadership within the National Statistical System, guiding ministries, provincial committees, and other data producers on what and how to measure. - Only transactions based on mutual agreements are in scope; theft, extortion, robbery, and kidnapping are out of scope (though related legal expenditures may create small inconsistencies). - Developing supply and use tables (SUTs) for the benchmark year is key to detect non-observed activities, fill gaps, and correct coverage by selecting better quality supply or use data at detailed product level. - The mission recommended compiling and publishing estimates of all non-observed activities publicly, including illegal and underground activities when they make a significant contribution to GDP, to uphold the statistical principle of equality of access to information. - Informal digital activities require particular attention: digital platforms have facilitated informal household production (e.g., informal taxis via Uber/Grab, households reselling goods online). - Source data for digital activities may be available from resident digital platforms (business surveys, tax records) and from banking system records for non-resident platforms when international transactions are involved. - Appendix I — Key guidance on source data and indicators: - The GSO should clearly specify its data needs from data providers and review their methodology to assess the source data quality. - Key data items to collect: values of sales, volumes produced (quantities, volume indices, etc.), estimates of intermediate consumption, income generated, and the number of employees (if possible, by gender for other types of analysis). - When assessing source data, consider: availability, coverage, frequency of estimates (annual, quarterly, or monthly), availability of current price and volume estimates, and how closely the source data relate to national accounts concepts. - Use regulatory authorities, tax office, and law enforcement agencies as sources for underground and illegal activity indicators; qualitative information can be useful when quantitative estimates are unavailable. - For informal activities: - Add agriculture and fishing to informal activities list. - Use additional source data: areas under cultivation, average yield rates, latest agriculture census, aerial/satellite images, livestock data. - For construction services, use building permits, housing models, product flow approach, and construction materials as indicators. - For trade and transport, use product flow approach, household final consumption expenditure estimates, trade and transport surveys, and registration records for informal transportation. - For accommodation, food services, domestic services, education, health and personal services, use household final consumption expenditure and tourist information where relevant. - Mining and quarrying informal activities: consider merchandise trade statistics of raw minerals if exports from formal producers are known. - Digital platforms: measure business, professional, and technical services provided through platforms; explore resident platform data and banking records for cross-border transactions. - Production for own final consumption: - Major component: housing services by owner occupiers — review existing estimates and use plausibility checks such as average monthly rental services for the new benchmark. - Other large items: agriculture, fishing, and construction — measure using same approaches and data sources as other non-observed categories. ### B. The New Benchmark Year - Core concern: - Selecting 2020 as the benchmark year risks introducing biases because 2020 reflects unusual pandemic-related patterns (e.g., tourism collapse, temporary closures) that may not be representative for subsequent years. - Rationale and implications: - Assumptions and ratios derived from the benchmark year are used to compile estimates for following years; these should be representative of the period until the next benchmark. - During economic hardship the informal sector can be counter-cyclical; workers may have moved from formal to informal employment in 2020, so extrapolating 2020 relationships could bias post-pandemic estimates. - Example: tourism industry in 2020 had a different mix of tourists (more local tourists) and different spending patterns; intermediate consumption-to-output ratios will differ by type of accommodation and extrapolating 2020 ratios will bias estimates when the economy normalizes. - Business register biases: temporary closures in 2020 could lead to non-response and omissions; corrections using alternative data (e.g., tax records) should be considered. - If 2019 is chosen as benchmark: - Pros: 2019 is more representative of a normal year; specific survey data available (e.g., trade and construction); some source data for 2017 or 2018 could be adjusted. - Cons: coverage and detail of collected data is less than for 2020; 2019 is less representative of “pandemic” years. - If 2020 is chosen as benchmark: - Pros: more source data available, most notably from the economic census or household survey; plans are already in place for 2020 data collection. - Cons: data collected in 2020 may be biased due to non-responses from temporary business closures; 2020 may not be representative of normal years and could bias extrapolated ratios. - Possible remedy if selecting 2019: - Volume and price adjustments could be made to data collected before 2019 (e.g., household living standard survey for 2018 could be adjusted to 2019). - Availability of supply and use tables for 2016 could assist compilation of a 2019 benchmark. - Mission’s recommendation: - The mission’s view: using 2019 instead of 2020 might best achieve the objective of publishing the best possible national accounts estimates, but GSO should compile information on the contribution of activities for which fixed ratios are used to guide the decision. - The mission remains available to provide further guidance as needed. - Table 3 — Summary considerations for benchmark year (preserved content): - Issue: Source data - 2019 — Pros: Specific survey data available for example trade and construction. Some source data available for 2017 or 2018 could be adjusted. Cons: the coverage and detail of collected data is less than for 2020. - 2020 — Pros: More source data available, most notably the from the economic census or household survey. Cons: data collected in 2020 may be biased due to non-responses resulting from temporary closures of businesses. - Issue: Representativity - 2019 — Pros: 2019 is more representative of a normal year. Cons: 2019 is less representative of “pandemic” years. - 2020 — Pros and cons: reverse of 2019 depending on how long the pandemic and its economic effects will last. - Issue: Planning, budget, and communication with users - 2019 — Cons: the GSO would have to change its plans. Survey costs may appear difficult to justify if results are not used for the benchmark. Changes will have to be explained to users. - 2020 — Pros: data collected for 2020 will be useful to measure activities of years affected by the pandemic. Pros: plans are already in place for 2020. ### C. Officials Met During the Mission - Lê Trung Hiếu — Director, SNA department - Nguyễn Thị Mai Hạnh — Deputy Director, SNA department - Nguyễn Diệu Huyền — Deputy Director, SNA department - Nghiêm Thị Vân — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Thùy Dương — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Vũ Thị Hải Anh — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Thị Hậu (A) — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Hà Quang Hải — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Phương Anh — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Ngô Như Vẻ — Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Thị Ngân — Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Thị Hậu (B) — Statistician, SNA department - Đặng Thị Bích Hồng — Statistician, SNA department - Lê Thị Phương — Statistician, SNA department - Đặng Ngọc Tú — Statistician, SNA department - Ngụy Thị Thu Hường — Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Mai — Statistician, SNA department - Đoàn Thị Hồng Hạnh — Senior Statistician - Đinh Sỹ Nguyên — Statistician, Agriculture, forestry and fishery Statistics Department - Nguyễn Nam Phương — Statistician, Industrial and Construction Statistics Department - Ngô Thị Ngân — Statistician - Nguyễn Thanh Thế — Statistician, Trade and Services Statistics Department - Đinh Thị Việt Phương — Senior Statistician - Nguyễn Thu Dung — Statistician, Population and Labor Statistics Department - Hồ Thị Kim Nhung — Senior Statistician, Social and Environment Statistics Department - Nguyễn Thị Thanh Tâm — Senior Statistician - Vũ Thị Như Trang — Senior Statistician, Statistical Methodology and Quality Management Department - Đậu Thị Quỳnh Trang — Researcher, Institute of Statistical Science *Source: 1vnmea2022003 - 1. Priority Recommendations, IMF* ### 1. Priority Recommendations _____________________________________________________________________________ 5 ### 1. Priority Recommendations ### Summary of mission outcomes and priority recommendations - Mission details: - A national accounts technical assistance (TA) mission was conducted remotely during April 19–26, 2021. - The mission was at the request of the General Statistics Office (GSO) of Vietnam and funded by the IMF’s Data for Decisions project. - Purpose: provide training and recommendations to the GSO on measurement of non-observed economy and support compilation of a new national accounts benchmark. - Key messages: - A good measure of non-observed activities is important for formulating, implementing, monitoring, and analyzing macroeconomic and social policies. - The GSO has identified non-observed activities and possible indicators; prioritization by GDP contribution is necessary to maximize statistical resources. - The GSO indicated estimates of illegal and underground activities will be compiled but not incorporated in published GDP estimates; the mission recommended publishing the best statistics available, including illegal and underground activities, to avoid inconsistencies. - The GSO should lead and coordinate with other data providers (e.g., Customs), providing statistical guidance to ensure source data suitability for national accounts. - The choice of benchmark year needs careful review because 2020 may reflect unusual pandemic-related patterns that could distort extrapolations; the mission’s view is that distortions from an unusual benchmark year would be greater than benefits from better source data for 2020. - The mission encouraged GSO to pursue development of a monthly indicator of economic growth and to improve the business register with IMF TA. - Priority Recommendations (Table 1): - August 2021 — Finalize the choice of the benchmark year. — GSO - August 2021 — Prioritize the list of non-observed activities. — GSO - August 2021 — Develop methodologies to improve the coverage of the non-observed economy. — GSO ### Detailed technical assessment and action plan - Overall outcome: Data are compiled and disseminated using the concepts and definitions of the latest manual/guide. - Key priority actions and target completion dates (Table 2), including priority level labels preserved exactly: - HIGH — Finalize the choice of the new benchmark year. — August 2021 - HIGH — Prioritize the non-observed activities. — August 2021 - MEDIUM — Coordinate data on non-observed activities with providers. — August 2021 - HIGH — Develop methodologies to improve coverage of non-observed economy. — August 2021 - MEDIUM — Finalize the data collection for the new benchmark year. — December 2021 - MEDIUM — Populate the SUTs for the benchmark year incorporating non-observed activities and new source data from administrative sources, economic census, agriculture, forestry and fishery survey, household living standard survey, and capital investment survey. — March 2022 - MEDIUM — Develop methodologies and procedures to compile chain-linked volume estimates for annual and quarterly GDP estimates. — March 2022 - MEDIUM — Balance the SUTs for the benchmark year. — May 2022 - HIGH — Finalize the SUTs and IOTs for the benchmark year. — June 2022 - MEDIUM — Develop a strategy and methodologies to backcast national accounts estimates aligned with the new benchmark. — August 2022 - MEDIUM — Organize outreach events to users to communicate the rebase and new methodologies. — September 2022 - MEDIUM — Backcast national accounts estimates. — November 2022 - MEDIUM — Start pilot-testing compilation and preparation of quarterly national accounts using chain-linking. — December 2022 - MEDIUM — Publish rebased national accounts and backcasted series. — March 2023 ### A. Improving the Coverage of Non-Observed Activities - Categories of non-observed activities identified by GSO: - Underground activities: Legal economic activities that are deliberately concealed to avoid payment of taxes and social security contributions or complying with some regulations. - Illegal activities: Productive activities that generate goods and services forbidden by law or that are unlawful when carried out by unauthorized producers. - Informal sector production: Productive activities conducted by unincorporated enterprises in the household sector that are unregistered and/or are less than a specified size in terms of employment and have some market production. - Household production for own final use: Productive activities that result in goods or services consumed or capitalized by the households that produced them. - Missing activities due to statistical deficiencies: Productive activities to be accounted for by the basic data collection program but are missed due to statistical deficiencies. - Key findings and recommendations: - GSO aims to produce exhaustive GDP estimates and separate estimates for each non-observed category to assist policy decisions (e.g., assessing implications of moving activities from informal to formal sector). - Categories overlap; distinction must be maintained between legality of activity and law infringements while conducting the activity (tax avoidance or regulatory breaches do not necessarily make the activity itself illegal). - The GSO’s proposed criterion using level of maximum legal charges to classify activities as underground or illegal is not recommended. - Prioritization is essential because the GSO’s list is very long; limited statistical resources should focus on activities with material GDP impact (e.g., organ trafficking activities are likely limited and lower priority). - GSO should provide statistical leadership within the National Statistical System, guiding ministries, provincial committees, and other data producers on what and how to measure. - Only transactions based on mutual agreements are in scope; theft, extortion, robbery, and kidnapping are out of scope (though related legal expenditures may create small inconsistencies). - Developing supply and use tables (SUTs) for the benchmark year is key to detect non-observed activities, fill gaps, and correct coverage by selecting better quality supply or use data at detailed product level. - The mission recommended compiling and publishing estimates of all non-observed activities publicly, including illegal and underground activities when they make a significant contribution to GDP, to uphold the statistical principle of equality of access to information. - Informal digital activities require particular attention: digital platforms have facilitated informal household production (e.g., informal taxis via Uber/Grab, households reselling goods online). - Source data for digital activities may be available from resident digital platforms (business surveys, tax records) and from banking system records for non-resident platforms when international transactions are involved. ### B. The New Benchmark Year - Core concern: - Selecting 2020 as the benchmark year risks introducing biases because 2020 reflects unusual pandemic-related patterns (e.g., tourism collapse, temporary closures) that may not be representative for subsequent years. - Rationale and implications: - Assumptions and ratios derived from the benchmark year are used to compile estimates for following years; these should be representative of the period until the next benchmark. - During economic hardship the informal sector can be counter-cyclical; workers may have moved from formal to informal employment in 2020, so extrapolating 2020 relationships could bias post-pandemic estimates. - Example: tourism industry in 2020 had a different mix of tourists (more local tourists) and different spending patterns; intermediate consumption-to-output ratios will differ by type of accommodation and extrapolating 2020 ratios will bias estimates when the economy normalizes. - Business register biases: temporary closures in 2020 could lead to non-response and omissions; corrections using alternative data (e.g., tax records) should be considered. - If 2019 is chosen as benchmark: - Pros: 2019 is more representative of a normal year; specific survey data available (e.g., trade and construction); some source data for 2017 or 2018 could be adjusted. - Cons: coverage and detail of collected data is less than for 2020; 2019 is less representative of “pandemic” years. - If 2020 is chosen as benchmark: - Pros: more source data available, most notably from economic census or household survey; plans are already in place for 2020 data collection. - Cons: data collected in 2020 may be biased due to non-responses from temporary business closures; 2020 may not be representative of normal years and could bias extrapolated ratios. - Possible remedy if selecting 2019: - Volume and price adjustments could be made to data collected before 2019 (e.g., household living standard survey for 2018 could be adjusted to 2019). - Availability of supply and use tables for 2016 could assist compilation of a 2019 benchmark. - The mission’s view: using 2019 instead of 2020 might best achieve the objective of publishing the best possible national accounts estimates, but GSO should compile information on the contribution of activities for which fixed ratios are used to guide the decision. - The mission remains available to provide further guidance as needed. - Table 3 summary of considerations for the benchmark year (preserved content): - Issue: Source data - 2019 — Pros: Specific survey data available for example trade and construction. Some source data available for 2017 or 2018 could be adjusted. Cons: the coverage and detail of collected data is less than for 2020. - 2020 — Pros: More source data available, most notably the from the economic census or household survey. Cons: data collected in 2020 may be biased due to non-responses resulting from temporary closures of businesses. - Issue: Representativity - 2019 — Pros: 2019 is more representative of a normal year. Cons: 2019 is less representative of “pandemic” years. - 2020 — Pros and cons: reverse of 2019 depending on how long the pandemic and its economic effects will last. - Issue: Planning, budget, and communication with users - 2019 — Cons: the GSO would have to change its plans. Survey costs may appear difficult to justify if results are not used for the benchmark. Changes will have to be explained to users. - 2020 — Pros: data collected for 2020 will be useful to measure activities of years affected by the pandemic. Pros: plans are already in place for 2020. *Source: 1vnmea2022003 - 1. Priority Recommendations, IMF* ### 2020. Expenditures made on surveys ### 1vnmea2022003 - 2020. Expenditures made on surveys ### C. Officials Met During the Mission - Lê Trung Hiếu — Director, SNA department - Nguyễn Thị Mai Hạnh — Deputy Director, SNA department - Nguyễn Diệu Huyền — Deputy Director, SNA department - Nghiêm Thị Vân — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Thùy Dương — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Vũ Thị Hải Anh — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Thị Hậu (A) — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Hà Quang Hải — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Phương Anh — Senior Statistician, SNA department - Ngô Như Vẻ — Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Thị Ngân — Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Thị Hậu (B) — Statistician, SNA department - Đặng Thị Bích Hồng — Statistician, SNA department - Lê Thị Phương — Statistician, SNA department - Đặng Ngọc Tú — Statistician, SNA department - Ngụy Thị Thu Hường — Statistician, SNA department - Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Mai — Statistician, SNA department - Đoàn Thị Hồng Hạnh — Senior Statistician - Đinh Sỹ Nguyên — Statistician, Agriculture, forestry and fishery Statistics Department - Nguyễn Nam Phương — Statistician, Industrial and Construction Statistics Department - Ngô Thị Ngân — Statistician - Nguyễn Thanh Thế — Statistician, Trade and Services Statistics Department - Đinh Thị Việt Phương — Senior Statistician - Nguyễn Thu Dung — Statistician, Population and Labor Statistics Department - Hồ Thị Kim Nhung — Senior Statistician, Social and Environment Statistics Department - Nguyễn Thị Thanh Tâm — Senior Statistician - Vũ Thị Như Trang — Senior Statistician, Statistical Methodology and Quality Management Department - Đậu Thị Quỳnh Trang — Researcher, Institute of Statistical Science ### Appendix I. Review of Indicators to Measure Non-Observed Activities — Key findings and recommendations - The GSO should clearly specify its data needs from data providers and review their methodology to assess the source data quality. - Key data items to collect: values of sales, volumes produced (quantities, volume indices, etc.), estimates of intermediate consumption, income generated, and the number of employees (if possible, by gender for other types of analysis). - When assessing source data, consider: availability, coverage, frequency of estimates (annual, quarterly, or monthly), availability of current price and volume estimates, and how closely the source data relate to national accounts concepts. - The GSO provided a long list of activities and related indicators which for presentational reasons is not all included in this report, but the mission highlighted: - Some activities that do not appear to be of significant importance in the economy could be considered as a lower priority. - The mission recommended focusing on key activities contributing to GDP to prioritize this review. - A selection of activities and comments are discussed below. ### Underground Activities - Since these activities relate to underreporting or concealment from the authorities, it should be assumed that all economic activities can potentially be affected. - When activities are concealed to avoid compliance with regulations (employment, safety, etc.) the GSO could approach the relevant regulatory authorities to collect some information. - A major reason of underreporting is to avoid paying taxes. The tax office should be approached by the GSO to collect data or qualitive information on the types of fraud and their magnitude by industry. - Qualitative information can be useful in the absence of quantitative estimates. - Some activities identified by the GSO appear to be relatively insignificant, for example “Transferring shares, bonds to be offered for sale or privately issued during the transfer restriction period, except for cases prescribed by law to gain illegal profits”. While these fraudulent activities exist, they might be very limited in terms of impact to GDP and the statistical resources dedicated to their measurement should therefore be limited. ### Illegal Activities - Law enforcement agencies should be a key source of data. - Illegal fishing may be a significant activity and agencies involved in monitoring fishing activities should be approached by the GSO to enquire about the data availability. - Major illegal activities usually relate to prostitution as well as production and trafficking of illegal drugs. ### Informal Activities - This is a key component of the non-observed activities and it should attract particular attention from the GSO. - The mission recommended adding agriculture and fishing in the informal activities listed by the GSO. - Additional source data for the agriculture industry to those listed by the GSO may include data on areas under cultivation and average yield rates (may be available from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). - The latest agriculture census or aerial/satellite images could be used. - Livestock data, including livestock models, which might be produced by other institutions could be useful. - For construction services, building permits and housing models could be used. - Using the product flow approach could assist in measuring the production of informal construction activities. - Construction materials can be used as indicators. - Common industries with large informal activities components are trade and transport. - Using a product flow approach and estimates of household final consumption expenditure can assist in measuring the value of trade and transport margins produced by households. - Trade and transport surveys are also useful. - For informal transportation services, registration records data can be used. - Accommodation services, food services, domestic services, education, health and personal services can be measured using household final consumption expenditure estimates. - Information measured for tourists could also be used for accommodation and food services. - Domestic services are often provided informally, and household expenditure surveys results could provide useful source data. - The GSO should concentrate on other informal activities if they make a significant contribution to the economy. - Mining and quarrying activities appeared to be missing in the list of informal activities provided to the mission although their importance might be limited. - If mined minerals are exported without processing, the merchandise trade statistics of these raw minerals could be used as an indicator particularly if exports from formal producers are known. - The advent of digital platforms has facilitated the production of services by households (for example programing of mobile applications). - Business, professional, and technical services can also be provided through digital platforms, exacerbating the production and transactions of these services. ### Production for Own Final Consumption - The production of housing services by owner occupiers is a major component which should require particular attention. - Estimates already exist and it is important to review these estimates using basic plausibility checks such as the average monthly rental services for the new benchmark. - Other large items in this category include agriculture, fishing, and construction activities which should be measured using the same approach, and potentially the same data sources as for the other non-observed activity categories. *Source: 2020. Expenditures made on surveys — 1vnmea2022003* --- _Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/cr/2022/english/1vnmea2022003.pdf_