Press Release No. 11/305

Press Release: Burundi Begins Participation in the IMF's General Data Dissemination System

August 9, 2011

Burundi began participating in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) General Data Dissemination System (GDDS) on August 9, 2011, marking a major step forward in the development of the country’s statistical system. Comprehensive information on Burundi’s statistical production and dissemination practices now appears on the IMF’s Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (http://dsbb.imf.org/Applications/web/gdds/gddscountrylist/).

To mark the occasion, Mr. Nicolas Ndayishimiye, Director General of the Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies of Burundi (ISTEEBU) noted, “With the return of peace to Burundi, wide-ranging reforms of the national statistical system have been undertaken with the implementation of Law No. 1/17 of September 25, 2007 organizing the statistical system in Burundi. The legal framework enables Burundi to upgrade its national statistical system while benefiting from international best practices. Accordingly, Burundi has decided to participate in the General Data Dissemination System. This decision is consistent with the country’s ongoing statistical reforms, and in particular reflects Burundi’s goal as defined in the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics in Burundi.”

Ms. Adelheid Burgi-Schmelz, Director of the IMF Statistics Department, welcomed Burundi’s participation in the GDDS. “Participating in the GDDS is a major milestone in Burundi’s statistical development. I am confident the country will benefit from using the GDDS as a framework for continuing development of its statistical system,” she underscored.

The GDDS was established by the IMF in 1997. It provides a framework to help countries to develop their statistical systems to produce comprehensive and accurate statistics for policymaking and analysis. Burundi is the 101^st GDDS participant (excluding the countries that have graduated from the GDDS to the more rigorous Special Data Dissemination Standard).