1. MALDIVES
Project Support meeting for the Regional Programme on Economic Statistics
Bangkok, November 2016

2. Strengthening the NSS of Maldives –project progress
Scoping mission fielded by ESCAP to Maldives from October 2015
Based of findings from scoping mission a proposal for a forward- looking review to develop NSS was carried out from May (review team included members from ESCAP,UNSD and NSO Mongolia)
Review questionnaire was developed by the team was completed by NBS in coordination with relevant agencies in the NSS of Maldives and sent to ESCAP prior to the mission’ s arrival in May 2016
Review team met with stakeholder agencies and completed the pre- filled questionnaire and collected additional information and documents during the review mission

3. Ongoing activities
Review report and recommendations currently under preparation by review team
Focus of the review:
Analyze legislation, Human Resource management, data production and dissemination policies, implementation of FPOS and other operating procedures
Technical in-depth review on the improvement of economic statistics, with specific recommendations within the monitoring requirements of SDGs
Provide recommendations for the modernization of statistics production and dissemination

4. Contents of the review tool/questionnaire
LEGAL SETTING
1.1. Protection of professional independence
1.2. Mandate for data collection
1.3. Census-related legislation
1.4. Other legislation affecting statistics
1.5. Data security and statistical confidentiality
NATIONAL System of Official STATISTICs (NSOs)
2.1. Structure of the system
2.2. National statistical programming / planning
2.3. System coordination mechanisms
NATIONAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS of the Maldives
3.1. The mission statement of the NBS
3.2. The organization of the NBS and the organizational chart
3.3. Resource management
3.4. Internal and external monitoring of quality and performance
3.5. Dissemination policy of the national statistics system
3.6. Relations with main stakeholders
3.7. International cooperation

5. Contents of the review tool/questionnaire (cont.)
ECONOMIC STATISTICS PRODUCTION AND DISSEMINATION
4.1. General questions for economic statistics / Data sources / Registers and surveys
4.2. Prices and costs
Consumer price index and other price indexes for the final demand categories, in order to monitor price change in key markets and their impact on different groups in the economy
Producer / product price measures sufficient to analyze the causes of price changes and the price links in the product supply chain, e.g. producer price index, commodity price index
Average labour costs and earnings
Unit labour and wage costs
Terms of trade
Exchange rates/purchasing power parities (PPPs)
4.3 Demand and output
GDP production and expenditure accounts, in current and constant prices, to measure demand and supply
External trade
Short-term industry output measures
Industrial structure statistics
Short term, disaggregated demand statistics (consumer, investment – fixed and inventory)
Productivity measures
4.4. Income and wealth
National accounts for the economy, to measure income, savings, investment, accumulation and wealth
National accounts by sector to measure income redistribution, sector income, savings, accumulation, financial investment etc. [minimum sectors: household, government, enterprises]
Balance of payments to measure international income and capital flows
International investment position, to measure the nation’s overseas net debt
External debt statistics
Income and wealth distribution statistics

6. Contents of the review tool/questionnaire (cont.)
4.5. Money and banking
Assets / liabilities of the banking system
Monetary measures
Interest rates
4.6. Government
4.6.1 Revenue and expenditure, borrowing and lending
4.6.2 Government accounts on a SNA and/or GFS basis
4.7. Labour market
Labour supply and characteristics of the labour force
Labour/skills demand, employment, unemployment, hours worked, underemployment, employment in the formal/informal sectors
Job creation and vacancies
4.8. Multi-domain statistics (to be covered in the scope of economic statistics compilation)
Tourism statistics
Agriculture and fishing statistics

7. Review will feed into
Current NSDS (from 1999 to 2019) resulting in its revision
Development of a National Economic Statistics Development Plan

8. PLANS TO MAINTAIN IMPROVEMENT IN CAPACITY
Plan to finish the report finalization as soon as possible, hopefully during December or Jan
Start implementing the recommendations highlighted by the review team
Prepare proposals for a project under the resource facility for specific areas of economic statistics that is of high priority

9. PLANS TO PROGRESS THE PROJECT
Start work on development of a National Economic Statistics Development Plan
Come up with a revised NSDS which accommodates the needs of SDG data requirements and capacity building needs and action plans

10. LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE PROJECT
Delays in completion of assessment led to delay in remaining activities, which is dependent on the review

11. Thank you