IMF commends Zim for launching data sharing portal – NewZimbabwe.com

By Alois Vinga

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has hailed Zimbabwe for implementing the recommendation to establish the Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS) which is used to publish essential macroeconomic and financial data.

The e-GDDS also known as the National Summary Data Page will serve as a one-stop publication for disseminating the data recommended under the e-GDDS, covering national accounts and prices, government operations and debt, the monetary and financial sector, and the external sector.

It will facilitate access for data users in Zimbabwe and abroad, including policymakers, financial sector, private investors, think tanks, and the media.

IMF Chief Statistician and Data Officer, Bert Kroese commended Harare for the noble initiative describing it as a major milestone in the country’s statistical development.

“I am confident that Zimbabwe will benefit from using the e-GDDS as a framework for further development of its statistical system,” he said.

The Bretton Woods institution said the expeditious implementation of the recommendation proves Harare’s commitment to transparency.

“The development is a testament to Zimbabwe’s commitment to data transparency.

“Thanks to the National Summary Data Page, Zimbabwe’s information has become easily accessible in both human- and machine-readable formats for users, resulting in greater data transparency.

“It is hosted on Zimbabwe’s national Open Data Platform (ODP), which is provided by the African Development Bank, and utilizes a modern data publication technology,” said IMF.

The benefits, including better sovereign financing conditions for countries participating in the e-GDDS, have recently been reviewed by the IMF Executive Board in the context of the Tenth Review of the IMF Data Standards Initiatives.