1. CARICOM TRADE IN SERVICES STATISTICS (CTIS)PROJECT June-December 2016
Regional Training Workshop
November 21 to 25, 2016 by
Lucilla Lewis, Lead Consultant

2. Participating Member States
REVIEW OF SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS IN SIX PILOT COUNTRIES: COMPILATION OF STATISTICS ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN SERVICES
Participating Member States
Dominica
Grenada
Antigua
St Lucia
Suriname
Jamaica

3. REVIEW OF SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS IN SIX PILOT COUNTRIES: COMPILATION OF STATISTICS ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN SERVICES
Dominica
Collaboration
ECCB
Discover Dominica Authority (DDA)
Income Tax Department
Immigration Division
Invest Dominica Authority
Financial Secretary’s Office

4. REVIEW Cont’d
Note on Collaboration with ECCB in compilation of the Balance of Payments (BOP)
ECCB leads compilation of the BOP
New survey questionnaires were introduced in 2015
There are 24 survey forms
The new survey forms better cover the product details under the services components
The new BOP survey form 4 covers the details necessary for compiling the flows and stocks of FDIs
The new survey forms only capture information by two regions – the ECCU and the rest of CSME

5. REVIEW Cont’d
EBOPS
Compiled annually from direct excel links in BOP database
BOP compilation converted to basis of BPM6
Compilation of BOP is led by the ECCB
BOP survey weighted response rate 75.8% in 2015
EBOPS series available from 2002
Components with most gaps are:
Charges for use of IP
ICTs
Other business services
Personal cultural and other recreational services
EBOPS is published annually in the Annual Trade in Services Statistics Publication. (started in 2012)

6. REVIEW Cont’d Statistical Business Register (SBR)
The SBR does not capture data on percentage of foreign ownership
The SBR does not appear to be the source of generating the BOP survey register

7. REVIEW Cont’d FDI Flows and stocks
Register of FDIs is currently maintained in the BOP database
Can be compiled from the current BOP survey questionnaire
Coverage of IIP
Not being compiled

8. Foreign Affiliates Statistics
REVIEW Cont’d
Foreign Affiliates Statistics
Register of Foreign Affiliates not currently being generated from the SBR
Decision taken on final day of mission to allocate staff to addressing this shortcoming in the SBR and commence compilation of FATS
GATS 4 Modes of Supply
Not yet being done

9. Success stories/best practice
REVIEW Cont’d
Challenges
Inadequate information on the emerging services sectors especially for the creative industries
Success stories/best practice
Only Member State with a dedicated trade in services statistics publication

10. REVIEW Cont’d Grenada Collaboration ECCB Revenue Department GIDC
National Insurance Scheme
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Tourism
Grenada Tourism Authority

11. REVIEW Cont’d EBOPS EBOBS series available from 2002
Response rate has shown increasing trend from 36% in 2002 to 75% in 2015
Components with major gaps are the same as for Dominica
EBOPS series is available at the CSO

12. REVIEW Cont’d Statistical Business Register
SBR is not updated on an ongoing basis and is therefore not comprehensive
The SBR does not capture percentage of foreign ownership and is not used as the prime source for generating the BOP survey register

13. REVIEW Cont’d FDI Flows and stocks
Flows and stocks to be compiled can be obtained from the BOP database, but are not now being compiled in the recommended framework

14. Foreign Affiliates Statistics
REVIEW Cont’d
Foreign Affiliates Statistics
Not being compiled
Register of Foreign Affiliates cannot be generated from the SBR
GATS 4 Modes of Supply

15. Success stories/best practice
REVIEW Cont’d
Challenges
Resources to better engage emerging services providers,
Inadequate staff allocated to the Economic Statistics Unit, which has responsibility for trade in services
Success stories/best practice
Business Register Update Form

16. REVIEW Cont’d Antigua Collaboration ECCB Social Security
Tax Department
Antigua Tourism Authority
Statistics Canada (STATSCAN)

17. EBOPS
Response rate for 2015 was 50%
EBOPS not currently being published by the CSO but plans are afoot to published on the soon to be launched website of the CSO.
Major data gaps:
FISIM
Charges for use of intellectual property not being disaggregated
Computer services not being disaggregated and there is no data for information services
Technical, trade related and other business services not being disaggregated
No data reported for health services and education services respectively

18. REVIEW Cont’d Statistical Business Register (SBR)
There has not been a comprehensive update of the SBR in recent times
Technical assistance currently provided by STATIN under PRASC towards best practice maintenance of the SBR

19. REVIEW Cont’d FDI Flows and Stocks
Data can be captured from the new BOP Survey Form
Flows and stocks are not currently compiled in the recommended framework

20. Foreign Affiliates Statistics
REVIEW Cont’d
Foreign Affiliates Statistics
The sub register of foreign Afflilates cannot be generated from the SBR hence the FATS cannot be compiled
GATS 4 Modes of Supply
Not being compiled

21. REVIEW Cont’d Challenges Success Stories Poor response rates
Gaps in data from surveys and from administrative sources
Inadequate knowledge of cross border transactions in the emerging services sectors
Success Stories
A trend of cross training among the professional staff of the Statistics Department

22. REVIEW Cont’d St Lucia Collaboration ECCB Ministry of Finance
Inland Revenue Department
National Insurance
Ministry of Tourism
St Lucia Tourism Board

23. REVIEW Cont’d
EBOPS
Declining trend in BOP survey response rate from 75% in to 51% in 2015
Sharp decline in response rate occurred in 2014 and continued into Reported to be associated with introduction of request for info on IIP. It was also reported that lowest response rates were for the services components
Main data gaps relate to the following components: charges for use of IP services; computer and information services; other business services, personal, cultural and regulation services

24. REVIEW Cont’d Statistical Business Register
SBR is being addressed through TA from STATSCAN
Business register survey includes request for percentage of foreign ownership but due to response rate issues the data cannot be compiled for generating the register of FATS
A business register survey has not been undertaken over the past 5 years and updates have been based on admin data from NIS and Inland Revenue

25. REVIEW Cont’d FDI Flows and Stocks
Required data can be collected in the BOP Survey Form
Data is not being compiled in the required framework

26. Foreign Affiliates Statistics
REVIEW Cont’d
Foreign Affiliates Statistics
Response rate to question on percentage of foreign ownership on Business Survey Form is low
The business register is not being maintained according to best practice
FATS not being compiled
GATS 4 Modes of Supply
Not being compiled

27. REVIEW Cont’d Challenges Success stories Low response rates
Inadequate information on cross border trade in the emerging services sectors
Success stories
-Rolling out of a plan to institutionalise collaborative approaches among data users/statistical compilers to streamline the survey burden on statistical compilers and data providers

28. REVIEW Cont’d Suriname Collaboration Central Bank of Suriname
National Planning Office
Business Forum
ICT Association
Tourism Office

29. REVIEW Cont’d
EBOPS
Central Bank of Suriname detailed services account based on BPM5
Plan to convert to BPM6 in 2017 and to introduce a comprehensive BOP survey with TA from CARTAC
BOP data sources include:
ITRS
Administrative data
Survey data including survey of mining, construction, transportation sectors respectively and FDIs.

30. REVIEW Cont’d EBOPS cont’d
100% response rate attributable to resources allocated to relationship building
A detailed BOP services account series is available internally however only very summarised services data is published
The following components require disaggregation:
Travel
Charges for use of intellectual property
Computer and information services
Personal, cultural and recreational services

31. REVIEW Cont’d Statistical Business Register
Efforts by the Enterprise Statistics Unit of the ABS have had only limited success.
Collaboration with the Business Forum to improve maintenance of the business register have not delivered the desired results
An establishment survey was just conducted and revision of the register from ISIC Rev.3 to Rev.4 is ongoing
The SBR does not currently cover data on percentage of foreign ownership of establishments

32. REVIEW Cont’d FDI Flows and Stocks
Limited statistics on FDI flows and stocks can be extracted from the BOP and the IIP compiled by the Central Bank of Suriname
Central Bank of Suriname plans to commence compilation of outward FDI flows and stocks

33. Foreign Affiliates Statistics
REVIEW Cont’d
Foreign Affiliates Statistics
While variables are available in the National Accounts worksheets, in the BOP and in the merchandise trade data base, the register of Foreign Affiliates cannot be generated from the SBR hence compilation of FATS has not commenced
GATS 4 Modes of Supply
Not being compiled

34. REVIEW Cont’d Challenges Successes
Little capacity in EBOPS compilation at the ABS
Successes
Allocation of resources by the Central Bank of Suriname to relationship building with existing and potential survey respondents

35. REVIEW Cont’d Jamaica Collaboration Bank of Jamaica (BOJ)
Jamaica Promotions (JAMPRO)
Companies Registry
National Housing Trust (NHT)
Jamaica Tourism Board
Jamaica Tax Department
Jamaica Financial Services Commission (JFSC)

36. REVIEW Cont’d
EBOPS
The detailed services account from the BOP compiled by the BOJ is extracted as EBOPS and is made available to regional and international agencies
The BOP compilation will be converted to BPM6 in 2017 when the 2016 BOP is being compiled
A BOP series going back to 2002 is available
The BOP is compiled on a quarterly basis, but the survey is conducted bi-annually

37. REVIEW Cont’d The BOP compilation is based on the following:
Data from STATIN
Estimates of tourism receipts from the Jamaica Tourism Board
Surveys of the Port and Airport departments and other surveys
Relationship building with big players in respective sectors
Media communications
Estimation and imputation

38. REVIEW Cont’d
Gaps observed in the services account of the BOP are as follows:
Travel: education tourism, health tourism, expenditure by seasonal and border workers not covered
Construction: Approach of entering 15% of total construction of FDIs not consistent with gross recording recommended
Financial services: FISIM is not being calculated
Other business services: low response rate for most of the subcategories under this component
Personal cultural and recreational services: health and education services not covered

39. REVIEW Cont’d Statistical Business Register
The SBR is being updated on an ongoing basis
The sub register of FDIs and Foreign Affiliates is generated from the SBR
A new General Register of Establishments questionnaire has been designed and with technical assistance from STATSCAN a Business Survey will be conducted in 2017
Regularity of register updates in recent times has been constrained by human resource challenges

40. REVIEW Cont’d FDI Flows and Stocks
Both the BOJ and STATIN generate register of FDIs. Both agencies however agree that the STATIN register is more comprehensive
Data available in BOP and international investment position, but not bing compiled as recommended

41. Foreign Affiliates Statistics
REVIEW Cont’d
Foreign Affiliates Statistics
FATS is compiled for all industrial classifications, however gaps remain for construction and for wholesale and retail
GATS 4 Modes of Supply
Plan to commence compilation after publication of the FATS

42. REVIEW Cont’d Challenges Success stories
Human resource and response rate issues
Little capacity in EBOPS compilation at STATIN
Success stories
Comprehensive business register
Compilation of FATS
Initiatives to collaborate with BOJ to compile FDI flows and stocks
No. of MOUs in place

43. CONCLUSIONS
All MS participating in the sample would have completed conversion to BPM6 by 2017.
Conversion to BPM6 provides additional details for compiling EBOPS and FDI flows and stocks, however some of the required details are not covered by BPM6

44. CONCLUSIONS
None of the BOP survey instruments currently being used, capture trade flows by trading partners, except for the limited regional information captured in Antigua, Dominica, Grenada and St Lucia
Among the MS participating in the pilot only Jamaica has made significant progress with compilation of FATS and already has a series which is not yet being published

45. CONCLUSIONS Cont’d
Jamaica is the only participating MS with a fairly comprehensive business register which generates a comprehensive register of FDIs and Foreign Affiliates
Key challenges faced regarding compilation of FATS variables relate:
Gaps in the business register
Low response rates to the, National accounts and BOP

46. CONCLUSIONS Cont’d
All of the participating MS, except Dominica, are currently receiving technical assistance from STATIN towards maintaining a comprehensive business register
Only Dominica issues a dedicated Trade in Services Statistics Publication

47. CONCLUSIONS Cont’d
Key causes of unavailability at the national compilation offices of statistical series of FDI flows and stocks are:
Despite complete coverage of required data in BOP surveys, no agency has assumed responsibility for compiling the statistics in the recommended framework
Poor response rates

48. CONCLUSION Cont’d Challenges Success stories
Human resource capacity- numbers and training will become more acute as the statistics departments take on responsibility for compilation of EBOPS
Success stories
Institutionalising of collaborative approaches
Maintenance of the business register
Issue of a dedicated TIS publication

49. Conclusions Cont’d
Strengthened collaboration between the Statistics Departments and the Central Bank is critical going forward

50. END OF SECTION