Press Release No. 12/362

Press Release: Samoa Begins Participation in the IMF’s General Data Dissemination System

September 25, 2012

Samoa began participating in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) General Data Dissemination System (GDDS) on September 25, 2012, marking a major step forward in the development of its statistical system. Comprehensive information on Samoa’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. Faumuina Tiatia Faaolatane Liuga, Minister of Finance of Samoa, noted: “Samoa is committed to use the IMF’s General Data Dissemination System as a general framework to continue developing the national statistical system consistent with the best international practices. The participation of Samoa in the GDDS will also lead to the production and dissemination of more reliable and timely statistics.”

Ms. Adelheid Burgi-Schmelz, Director of the IMF Statistics Department, welcomed Samoa’s participation in the GDDS and observed: “Samoa’s participation in the GDDS is a major milestone in the country’s statistical development. I am confident that Samoa will benefit from using the GDDS as a framework for further development of its statistical system.”

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. Samoa is the 104^th GDDS participant (excluding the countries that have graduated from the GDDS to the SDDS).