GDDS/SDDS

Introduction

Mauritius subscribed to the General Data Dissemination System (GDDS) of the IMF in 2000 and now intends to graduate to the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS).

The GDDS is a system not a standard; it is less prescriptive with emphasis on improvement over time.  The primary focus of the GDDS is on improvement in data quality by providing a process for evaluating needs for data improvements and setting priorities.  There is no set future date by which improvements in present practices must be completed and covers macroeconomic, financial, and socio-demographic data.

            The SDDS is a standard (i) with precise, specific requirements for coverage, periodicity, and timeliness of data; (ii) with primary focus on the dissemination of frequent and timely data;  (iii) whose requirements must be satisfied by subscribers immediately; and (iv) which covers macroeconomic and financial data.

            Participation in the SDDS is open to all members of the IMF and subscription is voluntary.  Countries can subscribe to the SDDS after having satisfied all its requirements.  Currently, there are 64 subscribers to the SDDS. 

  Data coverage under SDDS

            The SDDS prescribes the dissemination of 18 data categories across four sectors of the economy:

(i)       real sector (4 data categories: national accounts, production index/indices, labour market and price indices);

(ii)       fiscal sector (3 data categories: general government or public sector operations, central government operations and central government debt);

(iii)       financial sector (4 data categories: depository corporations survey, central bank survey, interest rates and stock market); and

(iv)       external sector (6 data categories: balance of payments, international reserves and foreign currency liquidity, merchandise trade, international investment position, external debt and exchange rates).

Population is included as an addendum.

 In Mauritius, four institutions are responsible for the dissemination of data in respect of the 18 data categories required by the SDDS namely

1. Central Statistics Office - (6 data categories)

2. Ministry of Finance and Economic Empowerment - (4 data categories)

3. Bank of Mauritius - (7 data categories)

4. Stock Exchange of Mauritius - (1 data category)

            These institutions are improving their timeliness, coverage and periodicity of the data categories falling under their responsibility to meet the requirements of IMF which will enable the country to adhere to the SDDS.

The National Summary Data Page

            The CSO is posting on its website the National Summary Data Page (NSDP) with available economic and financial data, covering all the 18 data categories/ 22 components prescribed under the SDDS. It is to be noted that all the statistics are not yet SDDS compliant. The NSDP will be updated as per an Advance Release Calendar (ARC) for the above data categories.