IMF | SARTTAC

Target Audience

Officials in the ministries of finance, central banks, or statistics bureaus of SARTTAC member countries, who would benefit from more advanced knowledge of the concepts, principles, sources, and methods used to compile GFS and PSDS.

Qualifications

Participants are expected to possess a degree in accounting, economics, or a related field and/or have relevant work experience, engage in regular compilation or intensive use of GFS and/or PSDS.

Course Description

This live virtual training workshop delivered remotely offers an opportunity to gain advanced knowledge in regards to some of the more topical concepts, principles and accounting rules that GFS compilers have to deal with in regard to above the line transactions for GFS. In addition to a refresher on the concepts of revenue this will include special topics on: (1) the difference between fees and taxes; (2) a focus on the classification of environmental taxes including country presentations of data compiled on them; (3) the classification of capital injections and whether above or below the line; and (4) discussion on other issues that applicants identify in regards to above the line transactions when they register for the course. Workshop discussions will be in the context of the international standards presented in the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 (GFSM 2014), the Public Sector Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users 2011 (PSDS Guide) and Environmental Taxes: A Statistical Guide 2013. Participants' questions/concerns will be invited and entertained throughout.

Course Objectives

A primary objective of this course is to enable participants to deepen their knowledge concerning the GFS compilation of novel/contentious above the line transactions and to peer-learn about similar issues in other countries. Through more specific detailed training, participants may gain insights on how they can improve GFS compilation and dissemination processes in their country. The workshop may also help identify areas for future support, including during technical assistance missions by SARTTAC. Upon completion of the workshop, participants should be able to:

• Differentiate between taxes and fees based on interpretation of international standards.
• Differentiate between environmental taxes and other environmental charges.
• Identify environmental taxes within the standard statistical framework of taxes consisting of: taxes on production and imports; current taxes on income, wealth etc. and capital taxes. 
• Differentiate between a capital injection that should be recorded as above the line from one below the line deciding on whether the economic reality is that the transaction is a non-financial or financial transaction.