Samoa: Technical Assistance Report-Report on the External Sector Statistics Assistance Mission
IMF Staff Country Reports, March 26, 2019
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- Samoa: Technical Assistance Report-Report on the External Sector Statistics Assistance Mission
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Bibliographic details
- Published: March 26, 2019
- Series: IMF Staff Country Reports
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781498305099.002
Mission purpose and scope
- Technical assistance mission to support the Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) in further strengthening external sector statistics compilation and dissemination.
- Focus areas include exports data sources, trade in goods data sources, and collection of offshore units’ data.
Key findings and data-source recommendations
- ESS compilers should convert to using the International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS) data as the source of exports data starting 2019.
- Historical exports data should be adjusted at least as far back as 2014.
- It would be beneficial to switch the source of trade in goods exports from exchange control records to Customs data to:
- ensure better coverage, and
- improve consistency with the IMTS published by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics.
- CBS should adopt a step-by-step approach for the collection of offshore units’ data, initially focusing on offshore banks.
Institutional coordination and reporting implications
- As international requirements for the reporting of offshore units evolves, it is likely that the Samoa International Finance Authority (SIFA) and the offshore company trustees will need to expand data collection from the offshore units under their jurisdiction.
- CBS should keep abreast of developments with respect to offshore reporting and continue to liaise with the SIFA.
Subjects and statistical areas covered
- Balance of payments
- Balance of payments statistics
- Economic and financial statistics
- External sector statistics
- Foreign direct investment
- Imports
- International trade
- Remittances
Samoa: Technical Assistance Report-Report on the External Sector Statistics Assistance Mission
Content in this bundle
- 1. Samoa: Priority Recommendations