## _wp0638

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---

### I. Objectives and context
- Policy goals established by GCC members:
  - "a common market by 2007"
  - "a monetary union by 2010"
- Economic environment supporting integration:
  - High oil prices, economic growth, and relative economic stability.
- Statistical support rationale:
  - Good-quality statistics required to support a single economic and monetary policy framework (literature: Bull, 2004; Fasano and Iqbal, 2002; Fellegi and Ryten, 2005; Ocampos 2005).
  - IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato (IMF, 2004) suggested an institution along the lines of Eurostat for the GCC.

### II. Coordination, planned regional data collection, and core datasets
- Existing coordination mechanisms and milestones:
  - Biannual meetings of heads of statistical agencies; seventeenth meeting in May 2004 adopted a vision and recommendations (SCS, 2004).
  - April 2005 agreement to intensify statistical coordination and consider institutional structure for statistics serving the monetary union.
  - Agreed regional data collection: regionally coordinated household survey in 2006; population census in 2010.
- Core regional datasets identified by GCC national statistical agencies:
  - national income and expenditure accounts statistics
  - price data (consumer price index, producer price index, export and import indices)
  - balance of payments statistics
  - foreign trade (value, quantity, geographical distribution, intra-GCC trade)
  - government finance statistics
  - agricultural statistics
  - internal trade and services
  - unemployment data
  - labor statistics
  - oil and gas statistics
  - monetary and financial statistics
  - information on trade barriers, including on customs
- Convergence criteria under discussion (Maastricht-like):
  - inflation, interest rates, foreign exchange reserves, fiscal deficit, and debt relative to gross domestic product.
- Aggregation and regionalization issues:
  - "The mere aggregation of data, in most cases, is not sufficient to provide a picture of the region as a whole."
  - Balance of payments: intra-GCC transactions must be netted out; residency criterion varies by national vs. regional definitions.
  - Regional price statistics: require regional consumption pattern data not reflected in each national CPI.

### III. Data quality, IMF instruments, and current GDDS/SDDS status
- Comparability prerequisites:
  - Common methodologies, international standards, and accounting frameworks.
- Current challenges:
  - Data either not comparable or not available across GCC.
  - Some national agencies do not produce traditional NSO datasets (e.g., national accounts, price statistics).
- IMF tools and guidance:
  - General Data Dissemination System (GDDS): diagnostic tool with a “plan for improvement” column; builds on UN Fundamental Principles of Statistics.
  - Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF): sets out quality dimensions and guides legal and institutional good practices.
  - IMF has prepared more than 80 data Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSCs).
- Reported GDDS/SDDS participation (as reported):
  - Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar participate in the GDDS; the three other GCC countries are in the process of joining.
  - Oman has published its data ROSC.
- Comparative table summary (Data Transparency: GDDS/SDDS Membership):
  - Afristat: No. of Countries 18; SDDS 0; GDDS 16; Percent SDDS/GDDS 88; No. of Countries with Data ROSC Reports 14
  - Eurostat: No. of Countries 28; SDDS 25; GDDS 2; Percent SDDS/GDDS 96; No. of Countries with Data ROSC Reports 17
  - GCC: No. of Countries 6; SDDS 0; GDDS 3; Percent SDDS/GDDS 50; No. of Countries with Data ROSC Reports 1

### IV. Institutional arrangements across GCC countries (responsibilities, fragmentation, legal issues)
- Lead responsibilities by dataset (authors’ questionnaire, August 2005):
  - Monetary and balance of payments statistics: central banks lead in all but one GCC country.
  - Government finance statistics: finance ministries typically responsible.
  - Other statistics: production is dispersed across many agencies; some countries have overlapping producers for national accounts, prices, foreign trade, labor, energy.
- Country-level patterns (high-level observations):
  - Saudi Arabia: national statistical office (NSO) responsible for core economic datasets (national accounts, prices, trade, unemployment, population).
  - Kuwait, Oman, Qatar: national statistical agencies perform central functions but often operate within ministries (Planning and National Economy) rather than as independent entities.
  - Bahrain and U.A.E.: statistical activity relatively dispersed across several agencies.
- Institutional counts and examples (Table 3, August 2005):
  - Examples of lead agencies by country for select datasets: Bahrain (Ministry of Finance, NSO, Ministry of Trade, Bahrain Monetary Agency); Kuwait (Statistics and Census Sector/Ministry of Planning); Oman (Ministry of National Economy); Qatar (Planning Council); Saudi Arabia (NSO); U.A.E. (Ministry of Economics and Planning, Central Bank).
  - Aggregate “Agencies” counts shown in Table 3 (by dataset): 8, 7, 9, 6, 7, 16.
- Legal framework and independence:
  - Recommended: a law that gives the national statistical agency lead responsibility for official statistics.
  - One independent central statistical agency per country is common and helps coordinate the statistical program.
- Regional agency considerations:
  - A regional statistical agency (Gulfstat) would require a clear legal mandate to support GCC integration and professional independence.
  - Gulfstat would not replace national agencies but would lead harmonization of data standards.
  - Legal actions may be needed for agencies housed within ministries to enter agreements with Gulfstat.
- Political sensitivity:
  - Data for monitoring convergence criteria can be politically sensitive; impartiality and independence of statistical processes are central.
  - Conflicts of interest can arise if producing agency has vested interests (e.g., macroeconomic policy agencies producing GDP).

### V. Lessons from Afristat and Eurostat relevant to a Gulfstat
- Afristat — structure, methods, and lessons:
  - Genesis: treaty signed in Abidjan in 1993; headquarters in Bamako; activities started January 2, 1996.
  - Initial staffing model: director general, deputy director general, initially 10 experts appointed for six years; locally recruited staff of 10; administrative/financial units and three departments.
  - Funding: first funded for 10 years and recently refunded for an additional 10-year term (until 2015).
  - Methods/priorities: technical assistance, training, statistical systems development for PRSPs and MDGs, national accounts implementation (1993 SNA common methodological base), harmonized CPI methodology, household surveys, enterprise statistics, documentation and dissemination.
  - Accomplishments: PROSMIC common minimum statistical programme (2001–05); methodological guides; improved dissemination (Internet, CD-ROM).
  - Organizational scale lesson: lean organization staffed with only 12 professionals serving diverse needs.
- Eurostat — structure, governance, and lessons:
  - Role: process and publish comparable statistical information at the European level; develop common statistical "language".
  - ESS (European Statistical System): integrates Eurostat and national statistical offices of EU member states, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein; central banks not part of ESS per Council Regulation 322/97.
  - Committees and coordination: Statistical Programme Committee (SPC) and Committee on Monetary, Financial, and Balance of Payments Statistics (CMFB).
  - Staff and budget (reported figures): Staff: about 800 (in 2005); 64 seconded national expert staff. Eurostat own budget: about 56 million euros (of which 46 million euros for implementing the Statistical Programme); additional 38 million euros subdelegated to Eurostat by other directorate-generals.
  - Legal instruments: three major acts adopted in 1997 (Council Regulation Statistical law; Commission Decision on role and fundamental principles; Article 285 Amsterdam Treaty on confidentiality). Treaty provisions related to the EDP give Eurostat powers to amend member states' data for EDP.
  - Governance critique: observed "accountability deficit" as Eurostat is a unit within the European Commission; recommendations to consider a more independent framework for Eurostat and the ESS (Fellegi and Ryten, 2005).
- Key transferable lessons for Gulfstat:
  - Combine coordination, harmonization, and capacity building features of Afristat and Eurostat.
  - Consider a Gulf System of Statistics (GSS) analogous to the ESS integrating national agencies and Gulfstat.
  - Advisory groups (Eurostat model) and a CMFB-style forum (dialogue between central banks and NSOs) are useful for harmonization.
  - Legal framework: strong legal foundations and clear mandates support professionalism, public trust, oversight, and accountability.
  - Dissemination incentives: SDDS/GDDS participation supports contractual expectations for timeliness and periodicity.

### VI. Institutional design choices, resources, and sequencing for Gulfstat
- Institutional integration and role allocation:
  - Gulfstat should be an integral part of a Gulf System of Statistics rather than an entirely independent agency.
  - Gulfstat mandate could include coordinating regional statistics, compiling regional data, and requesting data needed for monitoring convergence criteria.
- Data collection and compilation role:
  - In Afristat and Eurostat, data collection is primarily the prerogative of national agencies; for GCC, a greater regional role in data collection should be considered given evolving national capacities.
  - Gulfstat could act as a compiler of regional statistics where efficiency warrants significant regional resources and staff.
- Resources and staffing:
  - Suggested staffing closer to Afristat level (about 12) rather than Eurostat (about 800), given six GCC countries and evolving national agencies.
  - Consider mixing Gulfstat own staff with staff seconded from national statistical agencies.
  - Initial establishment will likely increase total resources required as regional and national production expands; Gulfstat should foster efficiency and avoid duplication.
- Technical assistance and capacity building:
  - Gulfstat could employ a mix of international experts and staff seconded from regional agencies and organize training courses for national statisticians.
- Early priority tasks for Gulfstat (examples):
  - Coordination of collection of price statistics for the International Comparison Program (ICP).
  - Adoption and unified implementation of national accounts methodology (1993 SNA).
  - Construction of export and import indices and treatment of intra-GCC trade statistics (exports and re-exports).
  - Organizing capacity building and training for statisticians in the region.
- Governance, financing, and legal issues to address:
  - Governance structure and legal framework, financing modalities, linkages to national agencies.
  - Potential streamlining of institutional frameworks, including provisions for statistical offices housed in national ministries.
  - Clarify the right to request data needed for regional statistics and consider assigning Gulfstat responsibilities for data required to monitor convergence criteria or fiscal rules.

### VII. Specific operational and policy recommendations
- Institutional/legal recommendations:
  - Enact laws giving national statistical agencies lead responsibility for official statistics and professional independence.
  - Establish Gulfstat with a clear legal mandate, professional independence, and rights to request data for regional statistics and convergence monitoring.
  - Embed Gulfstat within a Gulf System of Statistics to integrate national agencies and regional coordination.
- Data and methodological recommendations:
  - Finalize unification of statistical definitions, concepts, and classifications; implement 1993 SNA according to a plan of action.
  - Harmonize methodology for compiling intra-GCC trade statistics with coordination between statistical offices and customs departments.
  - Adopt common CPI methodology and coordinate household surveys and censuses (household survey in 2006; population census in 2010).
- Capacity-building and dissemination recommendations:
  - Use GDDS participation as an initial step toward harmonized dissemination practices and move toward SDDS subscription over time.
  - Develop capacity-building programs using Gulfstat-organized training and a mix of secondees and international experts.
  - Build a regional data warehouse with comparable demographic, social, and economic data.
- Sequencing and resource implications:
  - Start with a lean Gulfstat staff (closer to 12) supplemented by seconded staff from national agencies.
  - Expect an initial increase in total resources as regional functions and national agency capacities expand; design Gulfstat to foster efficiency and avoid duplication.

*Source: _wp0638*

### References..............................................................................................................

### References

### I. INTRODUCTION — objectives and context
- Policy goals set by members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC):
  - "a common market by 2007"
  - "a monetary union by 2010"
- Economic environment supporting these goals:
  - High oil prices, economic growth, and relative economic stability.
- Literature noting the need for good-quality statistics to support a single economic and monetary policy framework:
  - Bull, 2004; Fasano and Iqbal, 2002; Fellegi and Ryten, 2005; Ocampos 2005.
- IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato (IMF, 2004) suggested an institution along the lines of Eurostat for the GCC.

### II. Coordination of statistical activity in the GCC
- Existing coordination mechanisms:
  - Biannual meetings of the heads of statistical agencies.
  - Development of a common vision and efforts to bring key economic indicators up to international standards.
- Regional publications and data sources:
  - Purchasing power parity (PPP) data from the International Comparison Program for the six GCC countries—valuable for monitoring economic convergence.
  - The GCC Secretariat publishes a statistical bulletin—described as a starting point for a regional program of data dissemination.

### III. Regional statistics production challenges and planned actions
- Aggregation limitations:
  - "The mere aggregation of data, in most cases, is not sufficient to provide a picture of the region as a whole."
- Agreed intensification of coordination (April 2005):
  - Heads of national statistical offices of the six countries agreed in April 2005 to intensify the program of statistical coordination and to consider institutional structure for statistics serving the monetary union.
- Planned regionally coordinated data collection:
  - A regionally coordinated household survey in 2006.
  - A population census in 2010.
  - These are intended to provide source data for regional economic statistics.

### IV. Proposal for a regional statistical agency ("Gulfstat")
- Purpose and scope:
  - Explore establishing a regional system of statistics composed of national statistical agencies and a regional agency.
  - A regional agency would provide statistical services, including coordination of regional statistics and statistical activity.
- Analytical approach:
  - Merits, challenges, and modalities of setting up such an agency are discussed against the background of Afristat and Eurostat—two other regional statistical agencies.
- Terminology:
  - The proposed new agency is referred to as "Gulfstat" in the remainder of this paper.

*Source: _wp0638 - References (excerpt).*

### Section III, we describe current institutional arrangements for data production in each Gulf

### _wp0638 - Section III, we describe current institutional arrangements for data production in each Gulf

### Data needs of the common market and monetary union (Section II)
- Core regional datasets identified by GCC national statistical agencies:
  - national income and expenditure accounts statistics
  - price data (consumer price index, producer price index, export and import indices)
  - balance of payments statistics
  - foreign trade (value, quantity, geographical distribution, intra-GCC trade)
  - government finance statistics
  - agricultural statistics
  - internal trade and services
  - unemployment data
  - labor statistics
  - oil and gas statistics
  - monetary and financial statistics
  - information on trade barriers, including on customs
- Convergence criteria under discussion (Maastricht-like): inflation, interest rates, foreign exchange reserves, fiscal deficit, and debt relative to gross domestic product.
- Regional data production requires more than aggregation:
  - balance of payments: intra-GCC transactions must be netted out; residency criterion varies by national vs. regional definitions
  - regional price statistics: require regional consumption pattern data not reflected in each national CPI
- Afristat and Eurostat cover analogous datasets:
  - Afristat mission: national accounts, input-output tables, government finance statistics, price statistics, agricultural and household surveys, social statistics, poverty statistics, information statistics
  - Eurostat directorates: national and European accounts (including government finance), economic and regional statistics (price statistics, short-term indicators), agriculture and environment, social and information statistics (including labor), business statistics (trade, energy, transport)

### Evolving vision for joint statistical work in the GCC (Section II.A)
- Institutional coordination milestones:
  - Heads of national statistical offices meet regularly; seventeenth meeting in May 2004 adopted a vision and set of recommendations (SCS, 2004)
  - In 2005, heads agreed to intensify statistical coordination and to consider institutional structure for statistics serving the monetary union
  - Agreed regional data collection plans: regionally coordinated household survey in 2006 and a population census in 2010
- Key recommendations adopted in May 2004 (selected):
  - Emphasize unification of statistics laws in the GCC member countries
  - Adopt a common methodology to build a data warehouse with comparable demographic, social, and economic data
  - Conduct specialized demographic sample surveys on specified dates to fill population statistics gaps
  - Improve human development statistics and indicators
  - Unify classifications of foreign trade statistics
  - Undertake joint field research at the GCC level on labor market, industrial development, and foreign trade policies, prior to formation of a common market and monetary union
  - Coordinate and cooperate in building and networking statistical databases on foreign direct investment
  - Cooperate in implementing statistical requirements of the International Comparison Program (ICP)
  - Coordinate and cooperate in compiling and processing gender statistics to monitor Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

### Data quality considerations and IMF instruments (Section II.B)
- Comparability prerequisite: common methodologies, international standards, and accounting frameworks
- Current challenges:
  - Data either not comparable or not available across GCC
  - Some national agencies do not produce traditional NSO datasets (e.g., national accounts, price statistics), complicating coordination
- IMF tools and guidance:
  - General Data Dissemination System (GDDS): diagnostic tool for current practices, metadata, and a “plan for improvement” column to move toward harmonized standards; builds on UN Fundamental Principles of Statistics
  - Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF): sets out quality dimensions and guides legal and institutional good practices
  - The IMF has prepared more than 80 data Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSCs)
- Current GDDS/SDDS participation (as reported):
  - Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar participate in the GDDS; the three other GCC countries are in the process of joining
  - Oman has published its data ROSC
- Table summary (Data Transparency: GDDS/SDDS Membership):
  - Afristat: No. of Countries 18; SDDS 0; GDDS 16; Percent SDDS/GDDS 88; No. of Countries with Data ROSC Reports 14
  - Eurostat: No. of Countries 28; SDDS 25; GDDS 2; Percent SDDS/GDDS 96; No. of Countries with Data ROSC Reports 17
  - GCC: No. of Countries 6; SDDS 0; GDDS 3; Percent SDDS/GDDS 50; No. of Countries with Data ROSC Reports 1

### Institutional setting for producing statistics in GCC countries (Section III)
- Lead responsibilities by dataset (overview from authors’ questionnaire to GCC National Statistical Agencies, August 2005):
  - Monetary and balance of payments statistics: central banks lead in all but one GCC country
  - Government finance statistics: responsibility of finance ministries (challenge to harmonize and meet international standards for monitoring convergence)
  - Other statistics: production is dispersed across many agencies; in some countries multiple agencies produce overlapping data (national accounts, prices, foreign trade, labor, energy)
- Country-specific institutional arrangements (high-level observations):
  - Saudi Arabia: national statistical office (NSO) responsible for core economic datasets (national accounts, prices, trade, unemployment, population)
  - Kuwait, Oman, Qatar: national statistical agencies perform central functions but often operate within ministries (Planning and National Economy) rather than as independent entities
  - Bahrain and UAE: statistical activity relatively dispersed across several agencies
- Implications:
  - Large number of agencies across countries argues for a regional coordinating body (Gulfstat) to harmonize concepts, classifications, and methodologies
  - Consideration needed for arrangements allowing statistical agencies to enter agreements across GCC or with a regional statistical agency
- Institutional counts and examples (from Table 3, August 2005):
  - Examples of lead agencies by country for select datasets (as reported): Bahrain (Ministry of Finance, NSO, Ministry of Trade, Bahrain Monetary Agency), Kuwait (Statistics and Census Sector/Ministry of Planning), Oman (Ministry of National Economy), Qatar (Planning Council), Saudi Arabia (NSO), U.A.E. (Ministry of Economics and Planning, Central Bank)
  - Aggregate “Agencies” counts shown in Table 3 (by dataset): 8, 7, 9, 6, 7, 16 (table layout indicates multiple counts across columns)

### Legal framework, independence, and regional agency considerations (Section III continuation)
- Legal structure needs:
  - A law that gives the national statistical agency lead responsibility for official statistics is recommended
  - One independent central statistical agency per country is common in industrial/emerging countries and helps coordinate the statistical program
- For a regional statistical agency (Gulfstat):
  - Require a clear legal mandate to support GCC integration and professional independence
  - Mandate to collect and disseminate data on economic integration
  - Would not replace national agencies but would lead harmonization of data standards
- Political sensitivity:
  - Data for monitoring convergence criteria can be politically sensitive; impartiality and independence of statistical processes are central to effective institutional environment
  - Conflicts of interest can arise if producing agency has a vested interest in the data (e.g., agency responsible for macroeconomic policy producing GDP)

### The role and experience of Afristat (Section IV)
- Purpose and genesis:
  - Supranational organization for statistical development in sub-Saharan Africa; treaty signed in Abidjan in 1993; headquarters in Bamako, Mali; started activities on January 2, 1996
  - Created to pool resources, promote consistency/comparability, and promote reliable economic and social information accessible in a timely and cost-effective manner
- Organization and staffing:
  - Directorate General: director general, deputy director general, initially 10 experts appointed for six years (roles listed: national accountants, price statistician, household survey expert, data processing experts, macroeconomist, informal sector/eployment/poverty economist, agricultural statistician, enterprise statistics expert)
  - Locally recruited staff of 10 assist the team; structure includes administrative/financial units and three departments: Surveys and Statistics; Analytical Studies and Economic Reviews; Data Processing, Documentation, and Publications
  - Afristat was first funded for 10 years and was recently refunded for an additional 10-year term (until 2015)
- Methods and priority activities:
  - Technical assistance and training; statistical systems development for PRSPs and MDGs; strengthen capacity to collect/compile/analyze statistics; develop data warehouses and dissemination capacity; foster international methodologies adapted to capacities
  - Institutional capacity building, national accounts implementation (1993 SNA common methodological base), classifications harmonization (UN classifications), price statistics and household surveys toward harmonized CPI, enterprise statistics development, computer/data processing methodology, documentation and dissemination, macroeconomic analysis support
- Accomplishments:
  - Helped NSOs break out of isolation; facilitated exchange of experiences and technical support
  - Common Minimum Statistical Programme (PROSMIC) provided a strategic framework for 2001–05 across six priority fields (statistical coordination; national accounts; short-term developments; dissemination; household living conditions/poverty; agricultural statistics)
  - Developed common activity/product classifications, methodological base for national accounts, concepts for employment/informal sector surveys, common CPI methodology, methodological guides, and improved dissemination via Internet and CD-ROM

### The role and experience of Eurostat (Section V)
- Function and remit:
  - Eurostat is the Statistical Office of the European Communities (established 1953); main role to process and publish comparable statistical information at the European level and develop a common statistical “language” (concepts, methods, structures, technical standards)
  - Collection remains largely responsibility of member states; Eurostat consolidates and harmonizes data
  - Since EMU, ECB is an important user; Eurostat publishes indicators for the euro area
- Organization, governance, and coordination:
  - Eurostat is a Directorate-General of the European Commission: headed by a director general and seven directors
  - European Statistical System (ESS) comprises Eurostat and the national statistical offices/agencies of EU member states, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein; central banks not part of ESS per Council Regulation 322/97
  - Statistical Programme Committee (SPC), chaired by Eurostat, brings together heads of NSOs and agrees on five-year programmes; SPC coordinates common classifications, implementation of common surveys, and EU-level data collection/analysis/dissemination
  - Committee on Monetary, Financial, and Balance of Payments Statistics (CMFB) coordinates Eurostat, ECB, central banks, national statistical institutes, and DG ECFIN for monetary/financial/BOP statistics
  - Examples of major projects: European System of Accounts (ESA), Intrastat, Prodcom classification, Community Labor Force Survey, Harmonized Indices of Consumer Prices
- Staff and budget (reported figures):
  - Staff: about 800 (in 2005); 64 seconded national expert staff
  - Eurostat own budget: about 56 million euros (of which 46 million euros for implementing the Statistical Programme); additional 38 million euros subdelegated to Eurostat by other directorate-generals
- Legal mandate and instruments:
  - Based on three major acts adopted in 1997: Council Regulation (Statistical law), a Commission Decision clarifying Eurostat role and fundamental principles (scientific independence, transparency, impartiality, reliability, pertinence, cost-effectiveness), and Article 285 (Amsterdam Treaty) providing constitutional basis and reaffirming statistical confidentiality
  - Treaty provisions related to the excessive deficit procedure (EDP) confer significant powers to Eurostat: data for EDP are supplied by the Commission; data provided by member states can be amended by Eurostat
  - Eurostat issues press releases and guidelines that, while not legal instruments, act as binding practical guidance due to Eurostat’s EDP role
- Governance critique:
  - Noted “accountability deficit” because Eurostat, as a unit within the European Commission, is not subject to parliamentary oversight in the same way as national statistical agencies
  - Recommendations (Fellegi and Ryten, 2005): consider a more independent organizational framework and specific legislation establishing the ESS and Eurostat with substantive autonomy to strengthen public trust and statistical quality

*Source: _wp0638 - Section III, we describe current institutional arrangements for data production in each Gulf (excerpts).*

### Box 1. The Evolution of Eurostat

### Box 1. The Evolution of Eurostat

### Chronology — Major milestones
- 1953: The Statistics Division for the Coal and Steel Community established.
- 1958: The European Community founded and the forerunner of Eurostat established.
- 1959: The present name of Eurostat as the Statistical Office of the European Communities adopted. First publication issued—on agricultural statistics.
- 1960: First Community Labor Force Survey.
- 1970: The European System of Integrated Economic Accounts (ESA) published and the general industrial classification of economic activities (NACE) established.
- 1974: First domain in the Cronos databank installed.
- 1988: European Commission adopts a document defining the first policy for statistical information.
- 1989: The Statistical Programme Committee (SPC) established and the first program (1989–92) adopted by the Council as an instrument for implementing statistical information policy.
- 1990: The Council adopts a directive on transmission of confidential data to Eurostat, previously an obstacle to Community statistical work.
- 1991: Eurostat’s role extended as a result of the agreement on establishment of the European Economic Area and adoption of the Maastricht Treaty.
- 1992: Statistical Programme 1993–97 adopted.
- 1993: The single market extends Eurostat’s activities, including establishment of Intrastat for statistics on intra-EU trade. Eurostat starts issuing regular news releases.
- 1994: First European household panel held, analyzing income, employment, poverty, social exclusion, households, health, etc.
- 1997: Statistics added for the first time to the Treaty of Amsterdam and the Statistical Law approved by the Council. Harmonized Indices of Consumer Prices published for the first time—designed for EMU convergence criteria.
- 1998: The 11 countries in at the start of EMU (EUR-11) announced and Eurostat issues the first indicators specific to the EMU are. Statistical programme 1998–2002 adopted.
- 1999: Start of EMU, January 1, 2001. Greece joins euro zone.
- 2002: Start of the circulation of euro banknotes and coins. Statistical programme 2003–07 adopted.

### Key lessons for a future Gulfstat — overarching insights
- Afristat and Eurostat perform coordination, harmonization of methodologies, and promotion of dialogue among national statistical agencies.
- Gulfstat could combine features of both Afristat and Eurostat:
  - Serve a small group of countries (GCC: six countries).
  - Be highly focused on supporting integration of six countries while also fostering capacity building because national statistical agencies are still developing.
- Data collection:
  - In Afristat and Eurostat, data collection from individuals or enterprises is primarily the prerogative of national statistical agencies.
  - For GCC countries, where national statistical agencies are in development, a greater regional role in data collection should be considered from an efficiency viewpoint.
- Institutional integration:
  - A Gulf System of Statistics (GSS) analogous to the ESS would integrate national statistical agencies and a regional agency; Gulfstat should be an integral part of the system rather than an independent agency.
  - Advisory groups (as used by Eurostat within the ESS) play a crucial role in harmonizing practices; existing GCC advisory groups could be expanded.
  - The Eurostat CMFB example is relevant for fostering dialogue between central banks and national statistical offices.

### Roles of national statistical offices and government finance statistics
- Clearly assign responsibilities for producing official statistics at the national level; some GCC countries lack clearly assigned agencies.
- Streamlining of currently complex institutional structures may be required.
- Legal actions may be needed for agencies housed within ministries to enter agreements with Gulfstat.
- Ministries of finance typically produce government finance statistics in GCC countries; their roles in advisory groups should be explicitly included.
- Eurostat benefits from firm agreements among ESS members about dissemination requirements, reinforced through SDDS memberships; this contractual model holds lessons for GCC.
- As a first step, participation in the GDDS could help GCC countries compare dissemination practices and use GDDS recommended standards for timeliness and periodicity as guideposts for convergence.

### Legal framework and governance
- Eurostat’s evolution shows the importance of a strong legal framework underpinning the regional agency’s mission.
- Major legal/governance issues for Gulfstat:
  - Clarify Gulfstat’s standing within the national system as coordinator.
  - Define the right to request data needed for regional statistics.
  - Consider assigning Gulfstat responsibilities for data required to monitor convergence criteria or fiscal rules to foster comparable accounting practices.
- Gulfstat should be an independent agency with legal foundations to support professionalism, public trust, oversight, and accountability.
- Embedding Gulfstat within a system of national statistical agencies (similar to ESS) may require harmonizing governance structures of national statistical agencies.

### Producer of regional data
- GCC national statistical agency heads have agreed on some coordinated surveys; Gulfstat could provide the institutional setting for coordinated surveying.
- While national agencies would retain primary responsibility for data collection, Gulfstat could play an active role in compiling regional data, requiring significant resources and staff.
- Afristat and Eurostat serve broad economic areas beyond monetary unions; Gulfstat could support development of regional statistics and economic integration without needing to move at the same pace as market or monetary union agendas.
- Statutory emphasis: preparation of comparable data is a long-term process; Gulfstat’s mission would be highly focused given a limited membership preparing for a common market and monetary union.

### Methodological harmonization and priority areas
- Afristat’s objectives align with GCC priorities in national accounts, prices, household surveys, and GDDS practices.
- GCC common statistical work prioritizes consistency, timeliness, and comparability.
- Ongoing activities:
  - Plan of action with detailed time frame to implement the 1993 SNA is being prepared by the Statistical Committee of the GCC.
  - Efforts underway to finalize unification of statistical definitions, concepts, and classifications.
  - Methodology of compiling intra-GCC trade statistics is under review with coordination between statistical offices and customs departments.
- Noted meeting: 18th session of the GCC Heads of Statistical Offices, Manama, Bahrain, March 13–14, 2005, discussed progress in these issues.

### Uniform dissemination practices
- Eurostat benefits from constituency members subscribing to the SDDS, committing to timely data dissemination per international standards.
- Afristat benefits from GDDS membership of its member countries.
- Universal participation of GCC countries in the GDDS, moving towards SDDS subscription over time, would support a regional statistical agency’s effectiveness.

### Resources needed and organizational form
- Resource needs depend on Gulfstat’s functions; lessons from Afristat and Eurostat:
  - Afristat: lean organization staffed with only 12 professionals serving diverse needs; grew to pool scarce financial resources.
  - Eurostat: evolved in an environment of well-developed national agencies; staff about 800.
- For Gulfstat:
  - Given six GCC countries and evolving national statistical agencies, a staff closer to Afristat (12) than Eurostat (about 800) is suggested.
  - Consider mixing own staff with staff seconded from national statistical agencies to foster collaboration and integration.
- Risks and efficiency:
  - Building a regional statistical system will initially increase total resources required as regional and national data production expands and national agencies adjust.
  - Gulfstat should foster efficiency and avoid duplication.

### Technical assistance and capacity building
- Afristat provides a technical assistance function to member institutions; Eurostat draws many experts seconded from member agencies.
- Gulfstat could employ a mix of international experts and staff from regional statistical agencies.
- Gulfstat could organize training courses for national statistical agencies, supporting capacity building and regional coherence.

### Specific early tasks and priorities for Gulfstat (examples)
- Coordination of collection of price statistics for the International Comparison Program (ICP); all GCC countries participate and ICP adopts a common methodology.
- Adoption and unified implementation of national accounts methodology (1993 SNA).
- Construction of export and import indices and treatment of intra-GCC trade statistics (exports and re-exports).
- Organizing capacity building and training for statisticians in the region as a cost-effective approach to build national expertise and coherence.

### Conclusion — strategic implications
- Afristat and Eurostat offer insights for developing regional statistics in the GCC: develop common action plans and strategic frameworks to achieve harmonization and comparability within time frames.
- A GCC regional statistical agency could combine elements from both systems, recognizing that national statistical offices are still evolving and that Gulfstat may need to assume a role as a compiler of statistics and a coordinator of methodology and data collection where efficiency warrants.
- Specialized issues to address in setting up Gulfstat include governance structure and legal framework, financing modalities, linkages to national agencies, and potential streamlining of institutional frameworks, including provisions for statistical offices housed in national ministries.

*Source: Box 1. The Evolution of Eurostat, from _wp0638 - Box 1. The Evolution of Eurostat_*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/websites/imf/imported-full-text-pdf/external/pubs/ft/wp/2006/_wp0638.pdf_