Press Release No. 14/54

Press Release: IMF Statistics Department Drafts Template to Collect Data on Government Revenues from Natural Resources

February 12, 2014

The IMF Statistics Department has developed a draft standard template for countries to use for the collection of data on government revenues from natural resources, based on the revenue classifications of the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001 (GFSM 2001). For about one third of the Fund’s membership revenues from natural resources are macro-critical, but currently available data are limited and not comparable across countries. The template would facilitate the collection of such data in an analytically relevant and cross-country comparable format, although the Fund does not currently envision collecting these data directly.

The template has been posted on the IMF’s website (http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/gfs/manual/comp.htm) for consultation with the international community and can be used by countries to test practical issues.

Comments on the proposed template can be addressed to STAGOAST@imf.org by April 30, 2014.