EAC launches training for national accounts compilation software

DODOMA: IN joint efforts to adopt the National Accounts Compilation Software by all East African Community (EAC) member states, the EAC Secretariat has organised a five-day training to the National Accounts Compilers in the country.

The training which kicked off on Monday seeks to equip participants from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and those from the Office of the Chief Government Statistician Zanzibar (OCGS) with skills that will help them in the compilation of the National Accounts Database System (NADABAS).

Participants in the training included Tanzanians from the National Accounts Statistics Department, representatives from EAC Secretariat, the African Union Institute for Statistics (STATAFRIC), Statistics Norway and the Kenya Bureau of Statistics.

NADABAS is a free, Excel-based software for compiling national accounts. NADABAS was developed through a joint Scandinavian project in Mozambique in 2004. Since then, the system has been adopted in several countries, including Lesotho, Kenya, Eswatini, Namibia and Botswana.

The training seeks to ensure that Tanzania also adopts the system.

According to the National Accounts Expert from the EAC Secretariat, Gervais Nduwimana, STATAFRIC in collaboration with EAC developed a software which if adopted by member states can help to facilitate an exercise towards having the EAC Monetary Union Protocol.

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“As we move into the monetary union venture, it is important to harmonize our statistics so that they are comparable, therefore national accounts are critical,’’ he noted.

Speaking when opening the training session, Commissar of the 2022 Population Census, Anne Makinda, paid tribute to the EAC Secretariat for organising the training which she said demonstrates its commitment to see the governments of member states continuously improve their national accounts statistics.

“This five-day training will equip you with the skills to efficiently utilise NADABAS, thus appropriately helping you in preparation and organisation of all statistics related to the economic activities conducted in our country.

At the occasion, NBS Chief Statistician, Dr Albina Chuwa said that Tanzania values the contribution of statistics to the national economy and is committed to ensuring that data meets international standards.