<p>MEDSTAT III Euro-Mediterranean Statistical Co-operation </p><p>SITS Questionnaire - Cambodia</p><p>The MEDSTAT III programme has started in May 2010, for a duration of 2 years. As the global resources available for this programme are lower than the budget allocated to the previous MEDSTAT programme, it is important to define clear priorities in order to propose a draft work programme to be discussed and endorsed in the sector Task Force. The Sector will deal with International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS) and Balance of Payments statistics (BOPS), focusing on trade in goods and services and FDI/FATS statistics. The objective of this questionnaire is to collect the views of Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPCs) and to identify the main orientations and actions to be carried out during the MEDSTAT III programme in the sector of trade in goods and BOP statistics. The questionnaire is addressed to the National Coordinator of this sector; however, it should be compiled in consultation with other relevant actors in the National Statistical Institute and other national institutions. Thank you in advance for your collaboration. We would be grateful if the questionnaire is sent back by 18th June 2010.</p><p>Identification of respondent:</p><p>Country Palestine</p><p>Institution Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)</p><p>Name of National Husam Khalifa Coordinator</p><p>Function Director/ Foreign Trade Statistics Department</p><p>Phone (972/970) 2 2982700 e-mail [email protected] [email protected]</p><p>7 May 2010 [1] Medstat III – IMTS questionnaire – </p><p>1. Institutional arrangements for the production of IMTS and BOP statistics 1.1 Please give the name of the agencies involved in the production of IMTS (data collection, compilation, dissemination), and the names of contact persons Persons Function Phone Email Name of agency Role names</p><p>Husam Director/ (972/970) 2 data Khalifa Foreign 2982700 collection, 1 PCBS Trade [email protected] compilation, Statistics dissemination Department</p><p>2</p><p>3 </p><p>1.2 Please give the name of the agencies involved in the production of BOP and FATS statistics (data collection, compilation, dissemination), and the names of contact persons Name of agency Role Persons names Function Phone Email</p><p>1. Faed Rayyan Compiler/ 00 Compiling External (972/970) 2- Palestinian and sector 298 2700 Central disseminating statistics. 1 Bureau of the balance of [email protected] Statistics payments (PCBS) statistics (BOP)</p><p>Palestinian 2. Faed Rayyan Compile the 00 Compile and Central BOP (972/970) 2- [email protected] disseminate 2 Bureau of statistics 298 2700 the FATS Statistics statistics (PCBS)</p><p>1.3 Which kind of institutional arrangements exist between these agencies to compile IMTS and BOP statistics? (Formal regulations, informal arrangements, memorandum of understanding, working groups, data sharing, confidentiality…) Comments (frequency of meetings, difficulties Description of the arrangements (participating agencies) faced,…)  Joint Committee between PCBS and the  Several meetings were held and Palestinian Ministry of Finance (MoF) to positive progress were made on the working on harmonizing the related files needed timeliness of files required for for statistical indicators mainly for external trade PCBS from the MoF. statistics.  Technical and administrative  The General Statistical Law (No. 4) of 2000 meetings with one team and 2 </p><p>20 May 2010 Medstat III – IMTS questionnaire – </p><p>(Article 5) entails the Palestinian Central Bureau coordinator, the meeting take place of Statistics (PCBS) to compile the balance of randomly 5 to 8 meeting in the payment (BOP) and trade statistics. year. The PCBS and the Palestine Monetary Authority   The difficulties of compiling BOP (PMA) jointly compile and disseminate the statistics can be summarized as the balance of payments statistics according to a following: Memorandum of Understanding between the two agencies on the joint compilation and Usage of concepts dissemination of BOP statistics. residency and nationality (some data sources uses  All the files systems for compiling BOP statistics the nationality to exist in PCBS and the cooperation With PMA as determine the residency), PMA the main data source for banking no national currency transaction. (Compiling BOP in US$/ Change other currencies to  According to the The General Statistical Law US$), several data sources (No. 4) of 2000, The statistical information for the same transaction, received from all enterprises shall be considered Financing of unrecorded strictly confidential and will be used only in an foreign trade (with Israel- aggregate form for the purposes prescribed under no control on borders), lag the Statistical Act . of Timeliness of data  Main findings are disseminated as hard copies, sources. CDs, Internet, in addition to the details which are prepared through Public Services Section.  Data are published through tables contains the main items of BOP and in acceptable details, also data are represented through charts.</p><p>1.4 Data transmission to the European Commission Please designate the agency that will be responsible for supplying IMTS and BOP data to the European Commission. IMTS: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) BOPS: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)</p><p>20 May 2010 Medstat III – IMTS questionnaire – </p><p>1.5 Coordination and synergy with other international agencies Please describe the technical assistance programmes recently carried out, ongoing or planned in the sector other than the MEDSTAT programme</p><p>Name of the funding agency Main objectives of the programme Status* Comments</p><p>1. Reviewing balance of payments C data for years 2006–2008 and to the extent possible of years before, and encourage the authorities to submit international liquidity data to STA for METAC in publication in the IFS. 1 cooperation with IMF 2. Providing hands-on training in balance of payments methodology and compilation practices.</p><p>3. Providing an overview on the changes from BPM5 to BPM6. </p><p>1. Assessing progress made in P implementing the recommendations of 2010 TA mission; in particular, those related to FDI.</p><p>2. Improved time-series to the extent METAC in possible for existing balance of 2 cooperation with payments data. IMF 3. Compiling the IIP statement for Palestine (improved quality of the current stock data and new sources employed, such as the FDI survey results, will help in this)</p><p>*: C (carried out), O (ongoing), P (planned)</p><p>20 May 2010 Medstat III – IMTS questionnaire – </p><p>2. Main issues with the current sources and methodologies Please indicate the main limitations and gaps in your statistical process with a detailed description of the difficulties faced, possible solutions, work plan (if already defined) to solve problems,…</p><p>IMTS Description of the limitations Comments (solutions, work plan,…) Concepts and definitions The adopted system is the relaxed special Preparing for adopting the general trade system due to the current situation trade system during 2011. mainly regarding the geographical part covered by the statistical system</p><p>Coverage Only registered trade is covered which Dealing with big companies which deals with documented transactions only covers around 80% of trade. and send officially from official data sources</p><p>Data validation and quality Many validation rules are done based on Enhancing capacities of employees the accumulated experience of the and benefiting from partners technical team experience.</p><p>IT tools No limitations Using one IT Tools that could enable data exchange with main partners in particular and all partner countries in General. Trade indices No possibility for calculating trade Benefiting from EU experience indices, due to the lack of information from official sources </p><p>Dissemination All indicators are available to the users, no Possible data retrieving from all users limitations can be mentioned in this regard using the main database. Other (please specify):</p><p>Timeliness Only annual reports are published due to Using such module that might help the delay in receiving files from official PCBS publishing monthly reports as data sources and the current situation (no the first step to graduate from the borders, no control on smuggling) GDDS to the SDDS.</p><p>BOPS Description of the limitations Comments (solutions, work plan,…) Concepts and definitions: - Based on BPM5 (Definitions and PCBS is using its adjustment on these implementation of IMF 5th Classifications), some data sources uses sources to come over these problems. Manual the nationality to determine the residency - Recorded upon accrual base, (double entry base).</p><p>- Evaluated in market Price.</p><p>Concepts and definitions: PCBS still using BPM5 (Definitions and PCBS is working on bridge tables to </p><p>20 May 2010 Medstat III – IMTS questionnaire – implementation of IMF 6th Classifications) move from MF 5th Manual to IMF 6th Manual Manual Adequacy of sources of The balance of payments statistics PCBS always improve the data information compilation is based on data received sources by monitoring the Palestinian from banks, different surveys, and economy and using different data administrative records. The PMA obtains source to check the consistency of the data from banks, while the PCBS collects data. data from surveys and administrative records. The surveys conducted by the PCBS include the balance of payments module survey to the Labour Force Survey and the various economic surveys, also PCBS uses the administrative records data from various institutions, ministries, impasses, and other related institutions. Level of detail by kind of services PCBS compile and disseminate the services data as recommended in the IMF 5th Manual, and according to the IMF consultants this details consider enough. Level of detail by partner country NO data available There is no plan to compile data by partner country. FDI statistics (flows) Data are available in Palestine and abroad for equity, reinvested earning and other capital. </p><p>FDI statistics (stocks) NO data available PCBS is conducting foreign investment survey (FIS) 2009 in the year 2010, the raw data will be available by the end of the 2010. FATS statistics Trade Balance: The source is the No control on borders so there Department of Foreign Trade Statistics is under coverage in the (FTS) in PCBS based on Israeli customs declarations, the VAT vouchers from foreign trade statistics but Ministry of Finance, Palestinian Water PCBS estimates this Authority, General Petroleum undercovering through national Corporation, Ministry of Agriculture, and account department. Ministry of Post and Telecommunication and the certificates of origin. FDI statistics obtained from Foreign trade in services: In connection Palestine security exchange with the valuation adjustment for imports, (PSE) depend on the nationality data from the FTS has been used as source but PCBS will use the FIS for transportation, insurance services and current transfers on the debit side. The survey as the main source of the Economic Surveys (ES) are the main FDI statistics. source of data on services in connection with enterprises. The Hotel Survey (HS), conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), has been used to obtain data on number of foreign visitors to Palestine Data on direct investment has been obtained through: - Administrative records from the Ministry of Economy and Trade. - Economic Surveys on resident </p><p>20 May 2010 Medstat III – IMTS questionnaire – </p><p> construction for computations of non-resident participation of private construction. - Banks survey for non-residents investing in resident banks and resident bank investing abroad. - BOP annex for households investing abroad.</p><p>• On Annual base: Tables and Bulletins Dissemination PCBS is planning to compile and (hard copies). disseminate Quarterly BOP as requirement for SDDS. • On web site: for Both PMA & PCBS. • Currency: In Millions US $. • International Channels: GDDS. BOPS- Year Book, IFS, Data and methodology. • According to PBM5: Structural Tables.</p><p>Other (please specify): Adjustments in line with the balance of payments guidelines are applied in the compilation of the balance of payments data when necessary. But in general, data adjustments and transformations are limited. The imports data are published in the annual report and in the website of the PCBS on a c.i.f. basis, However, for the purposes of IMF publications, imports data are adjusted to f.o.b. basis by deducting 2% of the c.i.f. value of imports for insurance and 8% for freight. Also coverage adjustments are used to include large transactions specially FDI data based on media information. </p><p>20 May 2010 Medstat III – IMTS questionnaire – </p><p>3. Priority needs to be considered in the MEDSTAT III programme</p><p>The priorities listed below should take into consideration the needs at the level of all national institutions involved in the production of all statistics covered by the sector, including trade in goods and Balance of Payments data.</p><p>3.1 Training course </p><p>Please indicate by order of priority the 3 topics which appear the most useful in the sector </p><p>Field concerned Comments</p><p>This training is needed for PCBS in order to make a preliminary figures Continue the training on seasonal adjustments by for imports and exports on the 1 conducting a training course on “how to deal with monthly basis instead of the annual. missing data and gaps” By producing monthly figures Palestine will meet the requirements of the SDDS. 3 Remittances Measurements according to BPM6 BPM6 definitions and classification (Major change 4 from BPM6) </p><p>3.2 Study Visits</p><p>Please indicate by order of priority the 3 topics which appear the most useful in the sector </p><p>Comments (including countries to Field concerned be visited) </p><p>To help PCBS building the files of 1 E-Commerce the E-Commerce in order to provide figures on the subject PCBS is looking to compile and disseminate the IIP statement so 2 Preparing the IIP statement needs to see developed country experience in this subject, Oman is good country for this subject. PCBS is looking to compile and disseminate quarterly BOP data so 3 Preparing quarterly BOP data needs to visit qualified country in this subject, Central Bank of Brazilian is good institution for this subject.</p><p>20 May 2010 Medstat III – IMTS questionnaire – </p><p>3.3 Workshop</p><p>Please indicate by order of priority the 3 topics which appear the most useful in the sector as main subjects of a workshop where countries should present their national practices </p><p>Field concerned Comments</p><p>The mentioned studies will increase the data quality for external trade 1 Asymmetry studies figures and decrease the discrepancies among partners. Financial derivatives measurement and classification 2 in BOP statistics according to BPM6 3</p><p>3.4 Technical assistance (work to be carried out by qualified experts during missions in your country) Please indicate by order of priority the 3 topics which appear the most useful in the sector </p><p>Field concerned Comments</p><p>1 2 3</p><p>3.5 Contribution to other international events planned for 2010-2011 in the field of IMTS and BOP statistics Please indicate the contributions planned, or recommended, by your institution to other international projects and initiatives (e.g. international technical working groups), where the support of MEDSTAT III can be proposed. PCBS strongly recommends to participate in any technical working group in the field of external trade sector.</p><p>3.6 Improvement of the dissemination of IMTS and BOP statistics Please indicate areas of possible improvement of the dissemination in the field of trade in goods and BOP statistics that may be achieved through the technical assistance of MEDSTAT III.  The detailed statistics of imports and exports are published 12 months after the reference year, hence PCBS looking for reducing the timeliness to one month in order to meet the SDDS requirements, TA mission or training course might come over this obstacle.</p><p>20 May 2010 Medstat III – IMTS questionnaire – </p><p> The coverage of the BOP data is incomplete since international transactions of corporations, quasi-corporations, and individuals are partially recorded, the coverage is deficient for the financial account components, international transaction of services, and investment income because of no surveys focused on obtaining BOP data, The existing surveys intended to collect data for the compilation of the national accounts and are used to derive BOP data. Data on trade credit, portfolio and derivatives and reinvested earnings are not recorded.</p><p>20 May 2010 Medstat III – IMTS questionnaire – </p><p>4. Specific issues 4.1 A proposal made at the final workshop MEDSTAT II was that Mediterranean partner countries could carry out an asymmetry study with the EU trade statistics on their own resources, and that results could be presented and discussed during a specific workshop. - Are you ready to produce an updated report on asymmetries between your country and the EU? YES X NO If yes, what could be a tentative deadline for the availability of results? 4 months after publishing the annual report. - If the suitable data are available, are you interested in the production of tables on asymmetries in trade in services with the EU? YES NO x Unfortunately, trade in services is not available by all partner countries, It’s available by Israel, rest of the world only.</p><p>4.2 A questionnaire on data quality (trade in goods) has been sent during the MEDSTAT II programme and a synthetic report produced. - Would you be ready to update the quality indicators with new information? YES X NO</p><p>- Would you be ready to produce a national quality report on trade in goods statistics? YES X NO</p><p>- Would you be ready to produce indicators about the quality of BOP data? YES X NO</p><p>5. Use of an Electronic Discussion Forum 5.1 Do you have an easy and regular access to Internet? YES X NO</p><p>5.2 If Yes, are you interested in the use of an Electronic Discussion Forum to exchange information on the various methodological and practical aspects of the sector? YES X NO</p><p>6. Please provide any additional comments or suggestions about IMTS/BOP statistics not covered by the questions above, in order to help to define the work programme? </p><p>20 May 2010 </p>