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One of the first activities in the Implementation Plan of the Regional Programme for
Improvement of Economic Statistics in Asia and the Pacific (RPES) 1 was to conduct a
capacity screening of national economic statistics systems with the objective of providing
a baseline for the implementation of the Core Set of Economic Statistics. 2
The Steering Group for the Regional Programme developed a questionnaire for ESCAP
member countries, which was administered to 10 ASEAN member countries in March
2013 and responses were received in May 2013 except for Myanmar.
List of countries
Details of these income-groupings are based on World Bank classification using 2011
GNI per capita.
1
E/ESCAP/CST(2)/5. Proposed regional programme for the improvement of economic statistics in Asia
and the Pacific. Available at http://www.unescap.org/official-documents/committee-on-statistics/session/2
2
E/ESCAP/CST(2)/4. Proposed core set of economic statistics for Asia and the Pacific. Available at
http://www.unescap.org/official-documents/committee-on-statistics/session/2
1
Section 2: Institutional Setting
Sub-section 2.2, strategic planning, begins with a question about the status of statistical
strategic planning.
2
In sub-section 2.3, four countries reported a centralized statistical system, 2 reported a
semi-centralised system while the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand reported a
decentralized statistical system.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Num ber of Countries
Responses to the follow-up questions in 2.3 are given in Table 4. Brunei Darussalam and
Singapore were the only countries to reply No to question 2.3.2 in Table 5.
The remainder of Section 2 was a series of yes/no questions regarding dissemination and
advocacy, displayed in Table 6. Brunei Darussalam replied No to all questions in this
table. Lao PDR was the other country that replied No to question 2.5.3.
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There is sufficient awareness, knowledge and appreciation among users/potential
2.5.3 7 2 1
users of the relevance of official statistics for economic policy
The first question of Section 3 asked whether each countrys IT systems were adequate
for producing the Core Set. Eight countries replied Yes and only Lao PDR replied
No.
Table7:Numberofstaffthatworkoneconomicstatistics
BruneiDarussalam Cambodia Indonesia LaoPDR Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand VietNam
80 95 700 16 1500 103 400 35 4966
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Section 4: Infrastructure
In sub-section 4.1 countries were asked if they use a quality assessment framework
(QAF). Six countries responded Yes to question 4.1.1. Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia
and Viet Nam responded that a QAF is not available and used in their respective
countries. Of these three countries, Malaysia and Viet Nam are the countries which have
currently planned to the QAF implementation.
Sub-section 4.2, Metadata Repository, only Thailand replied No to all questions in this
sub-section. Results are summarized in Table 9.
Figure 2 displays the responses to the first part of sub-section 4.3, six countries have
centralised business registers. The other three countries with no business register system
in place, Indonesia and Lao PDR expressed that it is already being planned or designed
while Cambodia responded No.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Of the nine countries that responded to sub-section 4.3.4, it is only Cambodia that uses
ISIC Rev. 3.1 to classify the items in the business register, the rest of the countries use
ISIC Rev. 4.
In sub-section 4.3.3, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and the Philippines the use business
register is not shared in the national statistical systems. Only Cambodia omitted questions
4.3.5 and 4.3.6.
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Table10:BusinessRegisters,BirthsandDeaths Yes No Blank
Use of business register shared by a number of agencies in the national
4.3.3 5 3 2
statistical system
4.3.5 Established method for identifying 'births' (new businesses) 7 1 2
Sub-section 4.4 responses are summarized in Table 11. It is only Malaysia answered that
Yes to question 4.4.2.
Sub-sections 4.5 through 4.12 are a series of key collections in which respondents were
first asked to indicate if they report the specified collection, then a series of follow-up
questions were administered in each sub-section regarding standards followed, frequency
of collections, and timeliness of reporting. Figure 3 gives the number of countries in the
sub-region that collect each key collection. Singapore replied No to both the economic
census and agricultural census while Brunei Darussalam has replied No to the latter
only.
NA = National Accounts
BOP = Balance of Payments
LFS = Labour Force Survey
HIES = Household Income and Expenditure Survey
EES = Enterprise/Establishment Survey
PC = Population Census
EC = Economic Census
AC = Agricultural Census
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Figure 3: Key Collections
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Numberofcountries
Figures 4A and 4B summarize the frequencies of collection for each item from Figure 3.
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Number of Countries
0
National Accounts Balance of Payments Labour Force Survey Enterprise/Establishment
Survey
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Figure 4B: Collection Frequencies 4.8, 4.10 - 4.12
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6
Number of Countries
0
Household Income and Population Census Economic Census Agricultural Census
Expenditure Survey
Figures 5A and 5B summarize the timeliness of reporting (in months) for each key
collection.
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Number of Countries
0
National Accounts Balance of Payments Labour Force Survey Household Income and
Expenditure Survey
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Figure 5B: Timeliness of Reporting 4.9 - 4.12
5
4
Number of Countries
0
Enterprise/Establishment Population Census Economic Census Agricultural Census
Survey
Sub-section 4.5 elaborates on national accounts inquiries. Figure 6 summarizes the sub-
regions latest implemented standards for systems of national accounts.
Thailand has reported that the 2008 SNA had been implemented. Except for Cambodia,
the rest of the countries that are still implementing the 1968 or 1993 SNA, have plans to
update to 2008 SNA.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Next, countries were asked to specify which industrial classifications they use. Most
countries are using ISIC Rev. 4 except for Cambodia and Philippines that used ISIC Rev.
3.1. Cambodia responded Yes to the question if they have plans to update while
Philippines omitted that same question.
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Figure 7: Industrial Classification Used
ISIC Rev. 3 ISIC Rev. 3.1 ISIC Rev. 4 Other
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Number of Countries
For product classification of national accounts, Cambodia and Lao use CPC v1.1, Brunei,
Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand uses CPC v2. Indonesia, Singapore and Viet Nam
responded with Others and specified a national classification modified from ISIC.
Cambodia has plans to update to CPC v2.
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Section 5: Core Set
In the Core Set, a set of thirty-one indicators are listed and each country was asked to
specify the frequency of collection for each item.
Tables 11 through 14 summarize which countries meet the minimum standards that the
Regional Programme specifies, which do not meet the minimum, and which indicated ad-
hoc collection or do not have the indicators available (N/A). The codes for each column
are as follows: M = number of countries meeting or exceeding the minimum frequency; B
= number of countries regularly collecting the indicator but at a rate below the minimum
frequency; A = number of countries reporting ad-hoc collection; O = number of countries
reporting other rates of collection; U = number of countries reporting that the item is
unavailable; X = number of countries leaving responses blank.
Table13:PricesandCosts Minimum M B A U X
Consumer price index (CPI) Quarterly 8 1 0 0 1
Producer price index (PPI) Quarterly 5 1 1 2 1
Commodity price index Monthly 5 1 0 3 1
External merchandise trade price indices Monthly 3 1 0 5 1
Wages / Earnings data Quarterly 4 4 1 0 1
Labour costs index / Wage index Quarterly 1 3 1 3 2
Table14:DemandandOutput Minimum M B A O U X
GDP (Production) Quarterly 7 2 0 0 0 1
GDP (Expenditure) Quarterly 7 2 0 0 0 1
External Trade Merchandise Monthly 7 1 0 0 1 1
External Trade Services Quarterly 5 1 0 0 2 2
Short-term Indicators Industry Output Quarterly 7 1 0 0 1 1
Short-term Indicators Services Output Quarterly 6 1 0 0 1 2
Short-term Indicators Consumer Demand Quarterly 6 1 0 0 1 2
Short-term Indicators Fixed Investment Quarterly 4 2 1 0 1 2
Short-term Indicators Inventories Quarterly 4 2 1 0 1 2
Economy structure statistics Every 5 years 1 6 1 0 1 1
Productivity Annually 5 0 0 0 3 2
Table15:IncomeandWealth Minimum M B A O U X
Integrated National Accounts Annually 6 0 1 0 1 2
Institutional Sector Accounts Annually 1 0 1 1 5 2
Balance of Payments (BOP) Quarterly 8 1 0 0 0 1
International Investment Position (IIP) Annually 6 0 0 0 3 1
External debt Quarterly 6 2 0 0 1 1
Income distribution Every 5 years 4 0 1 2 2 1
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Table16:Money,LabourandGovernment Minimum M B A U X
Assets/liabilities of depository corporations Monthly 5 0 0 2 3
Broad money and credit aggregates Monthly 5 0 0 2 3
Interest rate statistics Monthly 7 0 0 2 1
General government operations Quarterly 3 4 1 1 1
General government debt Quarterly 4 2 1 2 1
Labour supply and demand Annually 5 0 0 3 2
Hours worked Quarterly 4 1 0 2 3
Natural resources Annually 2 0 1 5 2
Source: UNESCAP Statistics Division. Note on Statistical Methods for the Statistical
Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific 2013.
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Annex 2: National agencies and sources for filling
Agenciesinvolvedineconomicstatistics SourceofInformation
Brunei Darussalam Department of Economic Planning and Titisutinah Hj
Development Mohd.Diah
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State Bank Van (GSO)
Ministries (Planning and Investment,
General Statistics Office, Finance, Customs,
Public Security (Immigration), Industry and
Trade, Transportation, Construction, Labor,
Education, Health)
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