This paper discusses findings of the Technical Assistance Evaluation Report for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Overall, the authorities indicated that technical assistance (TA) and training had been very useful in improving its statistical systems and statistics. The approach to...

This paper presents a statistical analysis of revisions in quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) of the Group of Twenty countries (G-20) since 2000. The main objective is to assess whether the reliability of early estimates of quarterly GDP has been weakened from the turmoil of the 2008...

The implementation of Georgia’s poverty reduction strategy has proceeded well, with impressive achievements in curbing corruption, improving the business climate, and continued improvement in public finances. Particular emphasis should be given to enhancing macroeconomic management,...

The country lacks an integrated statistical framework that would take account of the various analytical and accounting linkages across macroeconomic statistics, and the relationships between regulatory tools, intermediate objectives, and policy goals. There is significant room to improve the...

This Joint Staff Advisory Note reviews the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) for Sierra Leone. The Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) provides an adequate framework for reducing poverty in Sierra Leone. The PRSP is the result of an extensive participatory process. The foundation of the PRSP...

This paper provides a primer on benefit incidence analysis (BIA) for macroeconomists and a new data set on the benefit incidence of education and health spending covering 56 countries over 1960-2000, representing a significant improvement in quality and coverage over existing compilations. The...

Both national accounts and balance of payments are based on multiple, complex source data and typically undergo several routine revisions as more and better source data are incorporated into the final estimates. As a result, neither dataset can be subjected directly to the usual statistical...

Improving debt management capacity in Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) is a key element of the international community’s strategy for ensuring a robust and sustained exit from unsustainable debt burdens. External debt management is a multi-facetted task involving the formulation of a...